Upping the Ante
by marauderX
Summary: Alexandra Jamieson is in for a hectic seventh year. With an surprising new admirer and a ghost that surfaces from her past, it's all she can do to keep her head above water. However, when she slowly gets trapped in a web of deceit, she learns that sometimes, it's the people you love the most that will betray you.
1. The Bouncing Properties of Dimes

The scent of grass and wood washed over me as I took my first step onto the Quidditch pitch, the silver lettering on the back of my royal robes spelling out 'Jamieson' pressing uncomfortably into my back due to them having been folded in my trunk for several weeks. Flying hadn't even been on my radar this past summer, and even my broomstick had felt strange when I had first picked it up. _Great job keeping up your Quidditch training, Alexandra_ , I thought bitterly. _It's not as if the Quidditch Cup is won by people who actually practice._

Winning the Quidditch Cup has been my dream since joining the team in fourth year. I've always wanted to be the player who won the match, my hands holding the cup above my head as the Ravenclaws hoisted me onto their shoulders, screaming, " _Alexandra! Alexandra! Alexandra!_ " Flitwick would present me with an award, no doubt, the plaque he would give me engraved with my name, 'Alexandra Jamieson,' and the words 'Quidditch Cup Player of the Match.' I have never been one for wanting to be the best in class, never been one for seeing marks as the most important thing at school; although that might account for the sub-par marks in my classes.

But it had been months since I actually played, not counting the tryouts that Carter Day, the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, had put on, and it would feel like years on the pitch. This year, he'd insisted I hang up my seeker position and pick up a beater's bat to double with my best friend, Charlotte Meaver. It hadn't been a stretch, seeing as how I always ended up playing beater with Charlie when I went to her house, and her older brothers (save Caleb, who'd been last year's captain) and their friends had always taken seeker for themselves.

I looked out at the pitch, a familiar weightlessness settling in. Letting out a deep breath, I mounted my broom, the handle of the beater's bat slightly encumbering me and getting caught in my long blue robes. While I usually loved the warmth my robes gave me, sweat was beading at my hairline and at the back of my neck. Pushing off, I sighed happily as the warm air rushed through my dark brown hair. I caught sight of Charlie as I glanced around the pitch and drifted over to my best mate.

"It's different, yeah?" Charlie greeted me, her brown eyes squinting as she looked at my new accessory.

I smiled uneasily and tossed the bat from my right hand to my left. "Unusual, but not different. I'll get used to it, I'm sure."

Charlie smiled and ran a hand through her short hair, the motion making the blonde strands shimmer gold in the sunlight. "Just don't blow it."

I stuck my tongue out at her, and her response was to giggle and streak off. Rolling my eyes, I turned my broom around and followed her, making my way over to the team who was hovering in front of Carter. Being the last one there, Carter shot me a stern look and I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. Carter, though he liked to be thought of as a strict captain, was actually such a sweetie and was my closest friend apart from Charlie.

"Okay, Jackson, Amelia," he addressed his fellow chasers, "we'll be doing basic drills shooting on Alex." He looked over at Alexander Kingston, our keeper, who nodded in response. Then he turned to Charlie and me. "I'm only letting out one bludger for the both of you, so aim properly and try not to hurt us too much." I caught the hint of a smirk on Carter's features, but it was quickly erased as he looked over at Tom. "Newbie," he said, and poor little Tom jumped, "I'm letting out the snitch. If you need help, don't hesitate to go ask Alexandra, right?"

The team looked over at me, and I smiled brightly. "Absolutely! Anything you need."

Tom seemed to loosen up and nodded, his bright blue eyes silently conveying his thanks to me. The kid was a wreck, although I suppose I would be too if I was the only new player on the team.

Carter dismissed us and we began our practice: the three chasers flying around with the quaffle, Alex hovering near the hoops and saving nearly everything, Tom zipping around nervously, every so often blasting away only to fly back and ask my for pointers every once and a while, and Charlie and I blasting the bludger at our teammates, simultaneously trying not to hurt them but also trying to provide some real game experience.

At one point, I looked over at Charlie and marveled at how such a small girl could hit the bludger so damn hard. With her short blonde hair and her bow lips, Charlie was never really seen as a threat, but on the pitch she was a menace, so much so that Carter and I once debated calling her the Scorpion, because her hits sting. As the bludger flew towards her, she struck out and the crack reverberated around the field.

Amelia Givens, the fiery haired fifth year chaser, ducked just in time as the bludger raced towards her, and I kept my eye on the magical version of a cannonball as it swerved around the pitch. I steeled myself as it came racing near me, but quickly straightened up and watched in confusion as it flew past me. Then I saw its intended target and frowned.

A sea of scarlet was clustered together near the far end of the pitch and as I watched, one of the red figures stepped forward and threw its arm forward, bringing the bat it had clutched in its hand swinging up to meet the incoming bludger. Another harsh sound cracked around the pitch. Carter sighed as he flew past me suddenly, almost knocking me off my broom. Shaking off the shock, I looked over at Charlie with an eyebrow raised, she nodded in response, and we raced off after him. When the both of us touched down and dismounted, Carter and the Gryffindor captain were already talking.

"Look Potter, Flitwick booked the pitch for us himself. If you have a problem with that, go bring it up with him or McGonagall," Carter stated diplomatically. I could see that it was a strain on him to be cordial to the opposing captain.

While the Gryffindors weren't as bad as the Slytherins, Carter was still nursing a bruised ego from two years ago when the Gryffindors stole the cup we rightfully should have had. Through a large bit of dirty plays by their beaters, they had injured Alex, and we had to play without a keeper.

Although we had all known that it was in no way Alex's fault, he still moped for the next week, like he usually did when he got in one of his mopey moods, but nonetheless, I love the bloody nuisance. Although he likes to keep to himself, Alex can always bring a smile to my face. And although we only see each other as friends, the fact that our names are so similar has led to some very intrusive questions about our relationship and if perhaps we would ever become the Alex duo. Whenever that comes up the both of us laugh, especially because I would rather play keeper before being called Alex.

As Alex touched down next to me, I could see that Carter's annoyance with the Gryffindor team was present with all the seventh years; Alex, Charlie, and Carter all looked exactly how I felt, and even Amelia, Jackson, and Tom seemed to sense the tense atmosphere.

"Well," Potter countered, sighing dramatically, "Minnie told us it was ours, and obviously, Flitwick probably forgot. You know how he is. _Short_ -term memory and all." As he laughed his hazel eyes danced with laughter at his cruel joke.

Apparently his team wasn't quite so amused, although the boy to his right, the one who had hit the bludger in the first place, snickered beside him.

"Shut up, Potter," Charlie seethed, glaring at the tall boy standing only a few feet away. "And if you'd like to keep your tongue I suggest you stop talking."

I felt the sides of my mouth curl up slightly as I suppressed the large grin that threatened to take over my face. Charlie's favourite subject was Charms and she would readily defend Professor Flitwick to anyone willing to take a jab at him.

Potter gave Charlie a disdainful look before turning back to Carter. "Is this why you have to practice? New players?"

"She's not new, you prat. You'd think that those glasses would help you see better, but obviously not," I countered, glaring at him.

The boy who had laughed at Potter's earlier joke, Sirius Black, stepped forward, his arms crossed along his chest, and grimaced as he looked over me. "Really? Because I don't remember one scrawny girl and one extremely feminine boy as beaters last year. Seems to me you had the Meaver siblings." His shaggy black hair fell into his eyes as he turned to look at Potter, the both of them laughing.

I glanced over at Charlie to see her jaw set determinedly, but her eyes filling with tears. It had only been this summer that she had cut her hair and she was still extremely sensitive about it ever since her brother Christopher had accidentally called her Caleb. I was set to murder Black, and by the look of Carter's clenched fists and furious glare, he was going to help, when Charlie lunged forward and knocked Black over, suddenly swinging her bat and connecting with the bludger that would have crushed his skull.

She turned back to the group, Ravenclaws to her right, Gryffindors to her left, and shrugged nonchalantly. While most of us were gaping at her, awestruck, Black was laying on the pitch, a scowl on his sharp features. He stood up quickly and angrily dusted off his bright red robes before turning on Charlie.

"Don't you ever do that again," he snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Charlie pouted and brought a finger up to her lips quasi-innocently. "Does the big bad pureblood not like being touched by the icky half-blood?"

I knew it was a low blow but I couldn't help but smile. Everyone knew the Blacks were fiercely purist, it was just simply common knowledge; but it was also common knowledge that although he grew up in that environment, he was entirely opposed to You-Know-Who's ideals. Of course, I was in no way supportive of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's ideals either, but I knew it was something that would get under the Gryffindor's skin, and it seemed to work. Both Potter and Black seemed struck by Charlie's comment, unable to figure out how to respond, when Carter spoke up.

"Charlie, that's enough," our captain said sternly, stepping forward and grabbing her arm.

The both of them shared a look before Charlie nodded, albeit she did roll her eyes whilst doing so. Carter gave her a forced smile and turned to the Gryffindors. "Well, since this obviously won't be resolved easily, how about a friendly game? It's decent practice for the lot of us."

Carter outstretched his hand for Potter to shake but the dark-haired boy just stared at it. "What do we get when we win?"

I laughed sharply and he looked over. "When _we_ win, _we_ get to keep the pitch."

Carter glared at me for a moment but quickly looked back at Potter, his hand still outstretched. "Fine. Winner gets the rest of the night on the pitch. Deal?"

"Deal," Potter shrugged. "Gryffies!" he suddenly called and I jumped slightly. "In the air."

With that the Gryffindor team lifted off together, the motion making them seem like one unit. They flew over us in an arrow formation and I glanced over to gape at the rest of the Ravenclaws.

"Captain," Jackson said, running a hand through his light blonde hair, "can we learn how to do that next practice?"

Carter frowned and grumbled, "Your bloody sister's on the team, why don't you ask her how long it took that prat Potter to get the team to do that."

Carter lifted off and raced away in a huff as the rest of us stared at him go. Jackson squinted as Carter flew in front of the sun and then turned to the rest of us.

"Is that a no, then?"

* * *

It had been fifteen minutes and the score was almost even with the Gryffindors leading by ten. With the unseasonal warmth, sweat was dripping down my neck and I felt like a dog, panting like I was. My arms ached from hitting so many bludgers and my mind hurt from trying to refocus on beating instead of seeking. Playing with the Ravenclaws had me reverting back to seeker position and at one point I was about to go streaking off down the pitch for the snitch when I realized that the bat in my hand meant that I was not supposed to do that.

So far the game had been clean: no physical contact between any of the players, and no ill-aimed bludgers, but it still wasn't over. I had my eye on Black and the other Gryffindor beater, Carl Spinn, a lanky fourth year, making sure that they weren't about to do something rash, when Tom suddenly flew past me, his squeaky little voice muttering something. It wasn't until after he had passed that I realized what he had whispered to me.

 _Snitch_.

I tensed and quickly looked around the pitch, deciding who would be the immediate threat. The Gryffindor seeker wasn't looking in Tom's direction, but a bludger was meandering over to Black and he was directly in position to blast it at poor Tom. Glancing over at Charlie, I saw the second bludger making its way to her and decided what to do.

"Charlie!" I yelled, making her turn towards me. "Over here!"

She nodded to say she understood and repositioned her broom as the bludger raced towards her. As her bat came in contact with the magic cannon ball, its course was redirected to me. I steeled myself as it came closer. Swinging my bat out just in time, it nicked the side of the bludger and sent it flying towards the shaggy haired boy it was intended for. I could see him winding up to take a whack at his own bludger when Spinn called out to him and he barrel rolled to avoid getting caught between the two. When he righted himself he shot me a murderous glare, evident even from half the pitch away, but all I did was smile and wait for…

"I did it! I caught the snitch!"

Tom's excited squeak of a voice made its way around the pitch. Black's face went slack and I grinned triumphantly as I spun my broom around to hover over to the excited boy.

"I did it!" he cried as I approached him, finding a spot between Amelia and Alex. "I can't believe it! I thought for sure Carter had made a mistake picking me over you, Alexandra, even if you are an amazing beater."

He blushed bashfully and I laughed, letting my broom creep forward a wee bit so that I could reach out and hug him. "Tom, you were brilliant at tryouts. I don't even think I could have done better today."

Tom beamed at me and his cheeks darkened. He thanked me and flew off towards the stands to get a drink with Jackson and Amelia, both of whom were congratulating him profusely.

Carter, Charlie, Alex, and I stayed in the air. "He still needs more work," Charlie mused. "But the talent is there, no doubt."

Alex scoffed and turned to me. "Do you see talent, 'Xandra? Because all I see is a kid who couldn't decide whether or not it was the snitch near the hoops, or someone's earring; and I was the only one in the area."

I stifled a giggle as Charlie gave Alex a cross look. "But you must admit, he has potential."

"Oh, everyone has potential, Charlie," Alex stated, nodding his head, "I'm not disagreeing with you, but the problem is I don't think he can build on it."

"Well I guess that's going to be my problem, Alex, isn't it?" Carter said harshly, giving the fellow seventh-year a sharp look. "I'm the captain and I picked him. If you have a problem with my choice, bring it up with Flitwick."

As Carter flew over to the stands were the rest of our team was huddled, Charlie turned to Alex and I. "It's just the pressure. He's got to live up to Caleb, you know." And without another word she was off, making her way to the stands as well.

Alex made a noncommittal sound and turned to me. "I didn't mean to question his choices. You know that."

"Yeah, I do, Alex," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I also know that had I been seeker I would have seen it five minutes in when it was hovering near the end of Tom's broom."

Alex began to snicker and I soon followed.

"Carter sure has a lot of work to do to get that fourth year up to your standard," Alex said, beginning to slowly descend towards the stands.

I shrugged. "I have a long way to go to get to Caleb's standard."

"Oh, nonsense," Alex scoffed. "Caleb was in another league of his own. I'm surprised he didn't go into Quidditch professionally. Not even Black could compete with him."

"Oh, so now Black's a better beater than me?"

Alex smiled. "Better at being a total arse? Yes. Better with strength? Yes. Better with aim and accuracy? Never in a million years."

I smiled. "Thanks Alex. But I guess I now have to work on my strength. How do you get such gorgeous muscles?

"Checking me out, 'Xandra?" Alex teased.

"Oh, most definitely," I countered, smirking. "Have you seen your arse? I could bounce a dime off it."

We were both laughing when we reached the rest of the team, to their confusion.

"Oi! What are you two laughing at that's so funny?" Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow.

I looked over at Alex and could barely contain my giggles as I said, "Oh, just the bouncing properties of a dime."

* * *

The harsh light of the sun shone upon my pillow, and subsequently my face, waking me up unpleasantly. I wasn't a morning person on the best of days, let alone when the burning light of a million tiny flashlights was burning through my eyelids. I moaned and turned from my side onto my back, my body groaning in protest. After our victory against the Gryffindors, Carter had insisted we still practice, and had decided to end it with a five lap run. Needless to say, I'm a flyer not a runner, and was extremely miffed at him. My legs felt like they had been hit by bludgers and then reset by Carter himself.

Slowly, I sat up and looked around the small room I called my dorm. From the bed to my left I could hear Charlie snoring, and judging by the stillness of her sheets, Kendra, one of my three other dorm mates, was also sleeping. The two beds to the left of Charlie were those of Sydney and Moira, but they were unoccupied as they usually were when I woke up.

Unlike me, Sydney and Moira were not only unnaturally gifted at schoolwork, but also worked exceedingly hard at everything, earning them top marks in most classes. Their extreme work ethic meant that they liked to wake up early and compare study notes and homework answers over oatmeal and grits, although how anything in that sentence could be considered fun or delicious is beyond me. Of course, they wanted to be co-Ministers for Magic, so a heavy course load was probably a requirement.

I was hoping to go into Quidditch as a profession somehow, but Flitwick had told me that if I didn't have a fall back career, then I was deluded. So, I took the core courses that I could with my O.W.L.s, namely Charms, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Advanced Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Alchemy as electives.

I slowly got out of bed and made my way over to the bathroom, my muscles screaming in protest, and locked the door when I closed it. I had a quick shower, using Charlie's lavender shampoo, although it was her fault, actually – if she didn't buy such nice smelling products I wouldn't have to use them. When I got out of the shower, I quickly dried off, then wrapped a towel around my body and stepped out into the cold dorm. Shivering, I shuffled over to my four-poster and closed the royal blue curtains around me. I dressed hurriedly and when I was done I returned the towel to the bathroom, shaking Charlie awake as I passed. She groaned and gave me a sharp look through hooded eyes.

"It's morning," she growled. To say she was even less of a morning person than me was an understatement.

I walked over to her bed and smiled down at her. "It is, sleeping beauty, and if you want to have enough time for breakfast before Charms, you'll get up."

"I hate you."

* * *

We were down in the Great Hall within minutes, Kendra in tow. We were silent for the better part of five minutes, all focusing on trying not to fall asleep at our plates, until Carter sat down across from Kendra and me, and next to Charlie.

"Have you noticed yet?" he whispered, looking at each of us devilishly.

I looked up from my plate of waffles and frowned. "What?"

Carter subtly motioned to the head table. Charlie, Kendra, and I all looked over, our slack faces quickly turning to faces of awe. Dumbledore, in the Headmaster's chair, was eating his breakfast as he normally did, but something unusual was happening to his beard. Shimmering like the glitter on Kendra's excuse for exercise shorts, his beard was turning all different colours, starting with red, then orange, all the way to purple and then back again. If the old man noticed he wasn't letting the students catch on, but I could suddenly hear the murmurs around the hall.

"Who – oh," Kendra whispered, her gaze locked on something behind us.

I looked back and saw the Gryffindor table, everyone looking down admirably at a group of four boys: Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew. As they laughed and received claps on the back from their fellow housemates, Black suddenly caught my gaze. He winked and in response I rolled my eyes. As I turned back to my friends I sighed.

"They're bloody brilliant," Kendra murmured, not looking away from the Gryffindor table.

"Yeah," I muttered, not catching the hilarity of the prank. "Bloody brilliant."

* * *

 **Author's Note: So I know I said I wouldn't really be posting anything, but think of this as the teaser to the totally revamped All Bets Are Off. Most characters will remain the same, although they are in seventh year and not sixth year, Amos and Alexandra were never in a relationship, and a large portion of the plot has been redesigned. So why don't you tell me what you think of the new and improved ABAO in that little grey box down ? Do you like the title? The summary? How about the chapter title/summary? Are you excited for more? I'd really appreciate it!**

 **And with that, I need to give thanks to randomhpffwriter for the title, Lululuna, whose summary writing skills are legendary, and my absolutely stellar Beta, pixileanin, without whom I wouldn't be writing this. Pix guided me through the new plot, helped tighten up this first chapter, and is going to be such a huge help and motivator for me in the months to come. And thank you, to those who have read and reviewed this chapter: your support is really appreciated.**

 **\- Lo :)**


	2. Save a Broom

I was at my desk in Potions class, barely managing to stay awake as I perused over the instructions for the Draught of Living Death. Although Potions was one of my favourites, it was just too early to stay awake. It didn't help that Professor Slughorn was sleeping at his desk under the guise of 'just resting his eyes.' Just as my head slipped from the hand that was keeping it up, I jerked up and squeezed my eyes shut, bringing my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose. Perhaps I didn't need to brew the Draught of Living Death, maybe I could just submit my unconscious self and Slughorn could decide whether or not I had brewed it well. I quickly shook that idea out of my mind as Lily Evans came back from the supplies cupboard, her arms laden with ingredients. She smiled at me as she dumped everything in her arms onto our table.

"Ready to get started?" the redhead asked as she quickly grabbed the Sopophorous bean that was about to roll off the table.

I smiled sleepily and shook my head. "I'm just about to fall asleep, but other than that, sure."

Lily rolled her eyes, but I saw the edges of her lips curl up. "You really aren't a morning person, are you?"

"It's been a year and you still haven't figured that out?"

Lily pursed her lips. "I thought by now you've gotten better, but it seems like you're still as bloody moody before noon as you always are. You should really start drinking tea in the morning. Perks you right up."

I couldn't help but smile at Lily's exuberant outburst about tea – ever since we had become partners last year, she kept trying to get me to drink tea in the mornings, something she said helped her keep her perky self awake. So far she still hadn't managed to sway me in the direction of tea. Give me apple juice any day and I'll be happy. We began to start the daunting task ahead of us. Lily took out her cauldron and I grabbed my measuring kit, the both of us silently continuing with the routine we had perfected from last year.

"So the book says to cut up the Sopophorous bean, and then to pour 250 fluid ounces of water and 5 ounces of the African sea salt in a beaker," Lily read, her hands fiddling with the edges of the page like she always did when reading the instructions. "Do you want to cut the bean while I get the water and sea salt ready?"

I nodded and passed her the beaker as she picked up the Sopophorous bean and tossed it to me. I caught it easily, my seeker instincts kicking in. As Lily began pouring out water from the large jug of distilled water from the table's personal tap, I started rolling the Sopophorous bean on the table.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked, looking at me strangely.

I gestured at the Sopophorous bean I was still rolling on the desk. "Rolling it under your palm usually releases the juices better."

Lily looked at me strangely. "I know. My mum taught it to me years ago. It's a Muggle trick. How do you know about it?"

I blushed and grabbed the knife as I placed the bean on the cutting board. "My dad was a great cook. Liked to watch those boring cooking shows on the Muggle telly."

Lily smiled. "That's the first time I've heard you talk about your dad, you know."

"Oh," was all I said in response, my muscles tensing. While Lily and I had gotten closer over the last year, our friendship still had gaps in it. Just like I never asked about her former friend, Severus Snape, nor her family, she never asked about mine. "Well, why don't we keep this up? If it's even half as difficult as Slughorn said, it's going to take both of us to come up with a semi-decent potion."

Our silence become more natural as we worked. We used a few words here and there to tell the other what needed to be doing next, but our usual routine of quiet had worked well for us so far and we weren't about to change it. We had gone about most of the steps when I suddenly noticed something.

"Lily, you didn't get the powdered root of asphodel from the cupboard, did you?" I asked, looking around the table, knocking the graduated cylinder over in the process.

Lily glanced over from stirring the potion and knit her eyebrows together. "Yes I did. Did you check behind the African sea salt?"

I grabbed the glass vial of African sea salt and checked behind it, but nothing was there. "No, it's not here."

Lily shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess I forgot it then. Could you go get it while I keep stirring? Make it quick though because after I add the chopped Valerian root we need it right away."

I nodded and wiped my hands on my Potions rag, a dirty bit of cloth that was once blue (I think), but through years of Potions class had turned a dark murky green. Checking to make sure the coast was clear and that no one was behind me with any aqueous African sea salt, I briskly walked over to the supply cupboard and walked through the slightly ajar door. I looked about the first few shelves for the red container that held the powdered root of asphodel, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Sighing, I grabbed the small stepladder that was folded up in the corner of the cupboard and placed it on the ground. Making sure it held fast, I stepped up and looked around the higher shelves. Catching a glimpse of the red glass I was looking for, I reached up on my tiptoes and grabbed the container by the tips of my fingers. Jumping off the stepladder, I was just about to leave the fairly large cupboard when I literally ran into someone. Bouncing back, I nearly tripped on my own two feet when the person in question reached out and grabbed me by the upper arms. Had I not hit my nose on this person's toned chest, I would have thought it was Slughorn, ducking away from the class to grab some of that ridiculous pineapple he seemed to be eating every moment of the day. But as I looked up, I caught the gaze of impossibly grey eyes.

"You okay?" Sirius Black asked, his hands still on my arms. I nodded slowly and pressed my lips into a line, unsure of what to do. "Alessandra, right?" he asked, finally letting me go.

I frowned and knit my eyebrows. "Alexandra. We've only had dozens of classes together since first year."

He smiled lazily and leaned against the doorway of the cupboard. "Right, sorry. So, how's tricks?"

I raised an eyebrow at him and cocked a hip. "I'm sorry, Sirius, right?" I mimicked.

"Right you are, love."

"Well, Sirius, I'm sorry to cut this quasi-conversation short, but I have to get back to class." I made vague hand gestures to the container in my hand and then to the classroom. "In order to make potions, you kind of need to be near your potion. Good chatting though!"

With that I gave him a quick smile and wriggled out of the supply cupboard, his body in the doorway semi-impeding my way. I was acutely aware of the miniscule amount of space between us, as well as the smirk on his face. When I finally got free, I made my way back to my table to a slightly frantic Lily who had seemingly only just chased off a fairly disgruntled James Potter.

"Measure 150 fluid ounces of that _quickly_ ," she hissed, her eyes darting from the textbook to the cauldron. "What took so long? Was there some kind of party in the supply cupboard I didn't know about?"

I looked up and saw Black amble out of the cupboard, a large grin on his face and nothing in his hands. "Couldn't find it for a moment. Sorry. 150 fluid ounces you said?"

Then the un-chaperoned cauldron three tables over from us blew up.

* * *

Charlie and I were in the library with Amelia after supper, at our regular table that overlooked the grounds. Because Amelia was a sixth year, she was constantly in the midst of asking us for help in terms of homework assignments, and since Charlie was never one to pass up the opportunity to help someone, it was standard for the three of us to be working together. It also didn't hurt that since Charlie and I had lived through most of the classes Amelia was taking, we knew how each particular teacher graded.

That particular day, Amelia was finishing up a Charms paper and was asking Charlie for help while I was reading the latest _Seeker Weekly_ , the last _Quidditch Weekly_ and _Quidditch 360_ nearby. Gwendolyn Morgan's wedding to Rudolf Brand had started off rocky; she'd concussed Rudolf with her Cleensweep Five after he proposed to her immediately following the seven day match their two teams, the Holyhead Harpies and the Heidelberg Harriers respectively. But now, over two decades later, the former captains had grown closer and the second proposal went much better. From what the article detailed, the rings had been kept in snitch shaped boxes that flew down the aisle to the couple, and the cake was a small scale replica of a pitch. Just as I was getting into the other elements of the wedding, and exactly what a Quaffle shaped chandelier would look like, someone grabbed my magazine and ripped it from my grasp.

"Hey!" I whined discontentedly as I looked up at the newly arrived Carter. "I was reading that!"

"And now you're not. Are you doing anything important right now?" he asked, slightly out of breath as if he had made a wild dash to get to me.

I reached forward, a frown on my face, and grabbed _Seeker Weekly_ back from my Quidditch Captain and good friend, who was pissing me off to say the least. "Well, I was reading this up until you decided it would be polite to yank it from me. Get your own mag if you want to read it so bad. Or at least wait until I'm done with it."

Carter rolled his eyes at my antics. "Black got detention for his stunt in Potions, and apparently the explosion injured their chaser, Theresa. Plus, Potter's being hauled into McGonagall's office for being part of the Potions mishap, even if he is Head Boy. On my way to Muggle Studies, he caught up with me to say the Gryffindor practice is cancelled and that the pitch is free. If you aren't doing anything more important than reading that magazine, would you go out and practice with Tom a little bit?"

I rose one eyebrow and surveyed Carter carefully. He seemed desperate for me to come out, so no matter what he might have said to Alex earlier, it was obvious he noticed Tom's underwhelming performance as well. Crossing my arms, I looked over at Amelia and Charlie. Both seemed uninterested in our conversation.

"Fine," I said, gathering up my three mags and throwing them at Charlie. "Charlie, bring those back to the dorm. Carter," I turned to my mate who smiled hesitantly, "get Tom out there in five minutes. Even a second longer and I'm making him run ten laps."

Carter beamed and hugged me. "Thank God! I was beginning to worry for the cup. I'll tell him to meet you down there ASAP and I promise that I'll make this up to you."

I rolled my eyes and began walking out of the library with him, Charlie and Amelia still immersed in Amelia's Charms assignment. "You better buy me a new broomstick," I said as we passed by the History section.

"Oh, bugger that," Carter said light-heartedly. "Your Shooting Star works fine."

"But they've got that new Nimbus out. The 1001. You could get it for me." I smiled innocently at Carter as we walked down the corridor.

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "The day I buy you a Nimbus 1001 is the day you get signed to a team."

I pouted and crossed my arms. "Bleeding Shooting Star better be good enough to win us the cup."

"Just remember," Carter said, glancing over to shoot me a smile, "it's the skill of the player, not the skill of the broom."

We neared the end of the corridor, where I would turn left and make my way to the pitch. Carter would most likely turn right and make his way back to somewhere in the castle, unless he enjoyed watching seeker training, which I doubted he did. I uncrossed my arms and smiled cheekily.

"Yeah, well, I doubt Tom would need this much training if he had the new Nimbus. Silver Arrows just don't perform like they used to," I berated, turning to walk backwards down the left end of the new corridor, my eyes still on Carter.

He grimaced noticeably and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Bloody newbie barely knows how to accelerate smoothly. Work on that with him, will you?"

Rolling my eyes, I kept walking backwards, needling him. "All this work I do and you honestly won't buy me a new broom?" I attempted unsuccessfully to suppress a grin.

Carter winked. "Save a broom, ride a Quidditch player."

* * *

"You'll do ten laps of the pitch, looking for the snitch as you go," I explained to the timid looking fourth year. "Once you see it, you will fly after it, but you only have three minutes to catch it before coming back and continuing the laps you had left, plus five extra. The only break you'll get is either when you catch the snitch, or when the ten laps, plus however many extra, are done. Although if you still haven't caught the snitch, you'll have a five minute break and then we'll start over. Understand?"

Tom nodded slowly, but then stopped and shook his head instead. "No, not really."

I rolled my eyes. "Just fly laps around the pitch, looking for the snitch. I'll tell you whether you've taken too long to catch it, or if you've earned a break. Now get in the air."

Tom nodded and took off, his practice robes billowing out as the wind hit him. I rolled my eyes again as the scrawny fourth year practically did a barrel roll because of the harsh gusts. Carter was expecting a lot from me, but I was going to do my best to help my captain out.

"Start." Tom hesitated, looking down at me on the ground. " _Now!_ "

He jumped, his quivering form wobbling on the outdated broom. Silver Arrows had been big in there day, but Nimbuses were the pinnacle of brooms now. It was like comparing classical music to Jimi Hendrix: it was fine, no doubt, and was certainly classified as the best at the time, but the new age came with bigger and better things. As the kid began to fly around the pitch, I lifted off and hovered, my eyes trained on the newbie. His form could do with some work, but then again, so could Jackson's. His speed also left something to be desired, but that could be improved with his form.

Tom made his way around the pitch a few times and I waited, my thoughts travelling back to Jimi Hendrix after that analogy. While The Hobgoblins where by far my favourite band, Jimi Hendrix was actually quite far up there. I was just in the middle of debating whether The Who beat out Jimi Hendrix on my ladder of music preferences, when Tom, whom I had lost sight of, streaked through my peripheral vision. I fumbled for a moment, trying to keep myself on the broom as I detangled my wand from my practice kit. I pulled it out and waved it absentmindedly, the golden letters of the Countdown Charm flickering before me.

180… 179… 178… 177… 176… 175… 174…

I watched him fly after the snitch, the only thing that kept me certain that it was, in fact, the snitch was the occasional glint of gold. At least he wasn't chasing after an earring. As the clock ticked down (23… 22… 21…) I watched as Tom slowed down, his body language showing exactly how taxing the barely three minutes had been on him. The clock slowly ticked away the last few seconds (4… 3… 2… 1…) I sighed loudly. The Countdown Charm ended with a loud blaring noise that seemed to shock Tom out of his mad, snitch-searching reverie. His distant form turned towards me and the shaking golden 0 next to me that I quickly waved away. He began the trek over, his shoulders sagging and his flying slightly jerky.

"I didn't catch it," he said glumly, his eyes downcast.

I pursed my lips, crossed my arms, and surveyed the disappointed fourth year. "This isn't some amateur Quidditch league, Tom. This is serious. Half the team is going to be looked at by recruiters this year, so I don't want that sort of attitude on my pitch. I know you might be trying to be me right now, but you're not and you never will be. Just like I will never be Caleb. So get over it and don't be so hard on yourself."

Tom caught my eyes and smiled feebly. "But isn't that how you're supposed to get better? Be hard on yourself?"

"This isn't bloody Charms class, Tom." I rolled my eyes and tried to look serious, but the corners of my lips pulled up. "I'm going to be hard on you, so you better be nice to yourself."

He smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, alright. I had four more laps to go before I went off, so…"

"Now it's nine."

"Bloody hell."

"Yeah, well just be glad you're not Amelia. Try making your way onto this team with Caleb as captain and your two other chasers being Carter and Jackson, and the keeper being Alex." Tom winced. "Exactly. She very nearly fainted by the time she finally got a goal."

"How long did that take?" Tom asked quietly, his earlier smile completely gone from his childish features.

"Oh, about three hours."

" _Three hours?_ "

"And that was only her second practice."

We had been out on the pitch for an hour and a half be the time Tom finally got down to one more lap left. He had attempted to catch the snitch a total of eleven times, and had failed every single time. I wasn't merciless though, and gave him a two minute break halfway through, but I could see the immense stress he was under. I wasn't going to push him too hard. After all, we had weeks before our first game and I had hundreds of opportunities to train him to the level of a decent seeker. As I watched the poor boy make his final lap around the pitch, I looked around for the snitch, quietly singing Jimi Hendrix under my breath. What can I say? It was stuck in my head.

" _Purple Haze all around, don't know if I'm coming up or down._ " Tom was just about halfway around the pitch, his speed so slow it seemed as if he was about to drop dead at any moment, which would have been a shame for that relic of a broom. " _Am I happy or in misery?_ "

" _Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me_ ," a voice rang out from behind me.

I turned the broom around quickly, my left hand steering it alone as my right one reached into my practice kit for my wand, if needed. Instead of a potential threat from one of the Slytherins like I thought it might be, a boy with shaggy black hair smiled up at me, a shiny new Nimbus 1001 in hand.

"Holy cricket, that's a… a…"

"A Nimbus 1001," Sirius Black said, an easy smile splashed across his sharp features. "Yeah, just got it from James's parents. Early birthday present considering the match against Slytherin is this weekend."

I flew down slowly, my eyes fixed on the pretty broom. Its handle was dark and polished so beautifully I could practically see myself in it. Actually, I could practically see myself on it. As I touched down, I looked from Black to his broom and bit my lip.

"Can I… touch it?" I asked, my hands itching to hold it. I was practically salivating.

His grin grew and he held it out to me. "Yeah, alright. But I'm riding it first."

I hesitated but stuck my hand out, grasping the handle and shivering. The wood had been sanded down expertly that it made my broom seem like an actual tree, bark and all. I set my Shooting Star on the ground delicately, but made sure not to sully the Nimbus by letting it touch the grass. It was lighter than I imagined and the bristles were gorgeously smooth and supple. I couldn't imagine what the wind friction would be like on it.

"So, Jimi Hendrix, eh?" Black asked, his eyebrow shooting up as I lifted my head to look at him. "Didn't peg you for a Jimi Hendrix girl."

"Oh?" I mused. "And what kind of girl did you peg me as?"

"Sugar, Sugar or maybe Elton John."

I rolled my eyes. "Can't a girl like both? Bloody hell, this broom is amazing by the way."

"Yeah, it's a beaut. So, what kind of music do you like then?"

"Is that a Nimbus 1001?" Tom asked shrilly, touching down beside me. Sweat was trickling down his face and his cheeks were rosy red. I could practically hear his muscles screaming.

"Yeah, it is," I said wondrously, still captivated by my dream broom. "This prat got it for his birthday. Wish I got a pretty broom for my birthday," I grumbled quietly.

"Save a broom, ride a Quidditch player," Black said cheekily.

I looked up and tried to suppress a grin, but failed. Black winked at me and I sobered up, turning my attention back to the broom that Tom was coveting beside me.

"How fast does it accelerate?" Tom asked, his hands hovering over the dark polished wood.

Black shrugged. "Testing it out now. You want to stick around and find out?"

Tom looked practically ecstatic, but quickly winced as he brought his hand closer to touch the Nimbus. "I'd love to but I've got Transfiguration homework to finish and I think I need to lie down before my muscles kill me."

He smiled at us and said goodbye, leaving us and walking to the Ravenclaw changing rooms.

"Great practice, Tom! We'll have another real soon!" I called out to him, and his response was to stick a thumb up in the air as if to say 'okay.' "Oh, and you can talk to Amelia about fitness regimens. Carter's going to have you running laps by next practice if you don't get your stamina up to par."

His thumbs up stayed in the air as he pushed his way into the changing rooms, disappearing from sight. I turned back to Black and shrugged.

"Newbies. What are you going to do?" I smiled and gestured to the broom. "So, mind if you give me a demonstration. Can't steal the first flight from you, can I?"

I half hoped he would allow me to steal that from him, but even I knew that no one would give up the first flight on a Nimbus 1001. And rightfully so.

"Ah, well you're right on that front." Black held out his hand and I reluctantly handed over the Nimbus. "Alright, so how do you want this to go? A race to the hoops and back?"

I gave him an incredulous look. "With my Shooting Star? Are you mental, I won't even get halfway before you're done! How about this: you go to the hoops and back and I'll stay here."

Black smiled devilishly. "Come on! We could put a wager on it."

"Sorry," I pursed my lips and momentarily glanced at the ground, "I don't gamble."

"Fine by me, but you need to start living vicariously, love."

"Vicariously?" I snorted. "I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

Black smirked and chuckled, one of his hands reaching up to run through his hair. "I guess you're right. I'm going to have a go at this, shall I?"

Without waiting for a response, he swung a leg over his broom and took off. It was all so sudden that he created a gust of wind that hit me like a ton of bricks, my hair flying around and my eyes stinging. That was one hell of a broom. It had just barely passed ten seconds by the time Black touched down again, his eyes alight with the excitement of a child.

"That was bloody amazing! You sure you don't want to race with me? I'll even let you take this beauty out for a spin," he panted, his cheeks rosy red.

I shrugged and shook my head. "Sorry, but I should be heading back. It's getting late and Charlie's probably waiting for me to help her with that Potions assignment."

"There's a Potions assignment?" Black asked incredulously. "When did we get that?"

"Right after your cauldron blew up today." I gave him a stern look but he didn't seem fazed. "Slughorn didn't want to leave us with nothing so he gave us the assignment: two feet on the proper techniques of Potion making with an extra foot of the precautions that need to be taken when brewing potentially volatile potions. Anyways, you should know this because you've got detention with him. And you should be there right now actually!"

Black smiled and gestured aimlessly with a hand. "Slughorn's passed out at his desk. I didn't do it!" he protested as my eyes widened. "He had some of that blasted pineapple of his and fell asleep while reading some geyser mag."

"I should have known," I said, rolling my eyes. "Alright, you've got the assignment now, yeah? I'm heading off."

I turned around and began walking away, adjusting my grip on my Shooting Star that had slipped close enough to the ground that walking with it like that could end up with broken bristles. As I reached the edge of the pitch, I heard Black call my name. I looked back over my shoulder to see him hovering above the spot we had just been standing at, a playful grin splashed across his sharp face.

"Maybe next time though, yeah?"

I smiled and held up my broom. "I'm going to have to ask you to buy me a broom first."

"Save a broom, ride a Quidditch player." He winked and raced off, his Nimbus zipping through the air faster than anything I'd ever seen.

As I turned back and began walking up to the castle again, I sighed. What was it with boys and their unhealthy obsession with that phrase? Did they have a Boy Meeting and decide it was the new thing? _Save a broom, ride a Quidditch player_. Pretty catchy. Guess it couldn't hurt to have that line on hand. I got to the castle and was about to open the door when it burst open and three boys fell out. I recognized two of the boys as seventh year Hufflepuffs, but the third I couldn't place. One of the ones I did recognize looked up at me sheepishly.

"Sorry," Amos Diggory said, his blue eyes boring into mine. "Didn't mean to almost hit you there."

I smiled at him and waved his remark off as gracefully as I could. "No matter. You didn't hit me so everything's fine." I giggled girlishly and then subtly yelled at myself for it. Giggling? What had gotten into me?

But Diggory didn't seem to think I was bonkers because he held out his hand. "Amos Diggory. Hufflepuff Quidditch captain. And you are…"

Although I should have been slightly miffed that he didn't know me even after three years in the same Care of Magical Creatures class and another five years in Ancient Runes, my mind was growing hazy as I gave Diggory my hand and he raised it up to kiss the back. "Alexandra. Uh… Alexandra Jamieson. Ravenclaw beater and treasurer of the Charms club."

"Charms club?" Diggory said curiously. "I've never heard of a Charms club."

His mates were a few feet away from us, wrestling or something else that boys liked to do, but I could see them eyeing us sceptically.

"Recent, very recent," I stammered. In reality, I had never heard of a Charms club either. "Anyways, I should go but it was great meeting you Amos."

He smiled brightly and nodded. "It was my pleasure. I'll see you soon, Alexandra Jamieson, Ravenclaw beater and treasurer of the Charms club."

I blushed profusely and stumbled with the door as I tried to open it without glancing at it. I said goodbye and then raced into the castle, my cheeks flaming. _Save a broom, ride a Quidditch player_. I was definitely going to keep that line on hand.

* * *

 **A.N.: I would like to thank my amazing Beta pixileanin who consistently helps me pick out errors in this story and is probably my biggest motivation.**

 **Also, Purple Haze is not mine (the lyrics above in italics when Alexandra is singing and Sirius cuts in), it is a song written by Jimi Hendrix, recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and produced by Chas Chandler (in 1967).**


	3. Live a Little

"We need to start a Charms club," I said as I burst into my dormitory.

Kendra poked her head out of her part of the room and frowned. "Why on earth would you want to start a Charms club?"

I chewed my bottom lip and tried to smile, but judging by the expression on Kendra's face, I wasn't succeeding. "I may have told Amos Diggory that I'm treasurer of the Charms club."

"But we don't have a Charms club," Charlie said, walking from her part of the room over to mine.

"Exactly! So now we have to make one," I cried, following her into my personal area.

Our dormitory was very reclusive in that each girl had her own personal area that was, for the most part, out of sight from all the others. The beds sat in nooks in the wall and a window above the side of the bed looked out over the grounds. Heavy dark blue curtains hung above the little nooks and could be used to block off the bed. Each bed had a desk on one side and a desk on the other, the back of each piece of furniture against the back of the piece of furniture of the girl beside them. This created somewhat of a triangle effect in that each of us had about a part of the room to ourselves, with the centre of the room mostly open save for the heater that ran through the middle.

I sat on my chair while Charlie rummaged through my dresser when suddenly Kendra's disembodied voice floated over to us from immediately to my right, behind my desk, and though the effect had been disorienting in our first year, we'd all gotten used to it and I didn't flinch."Or, you could just tell him we don't have a Charms club and admit that you lied to make you less boring."

"Yes, just admit to one of the most fit boys in school that I'm a raging loser," I grumbled.

Charlie looked over her shoulder as she threw two of my tops onto my bed and smiled. "You aren't a loser. Maybe he'll find it endearing."

"Oh yes, because that doesn't just scream 'I'm desperate and you're attractive,'" I mused sarcastically. "Anyways, what are you doing looking through my things?"

Charlie grunted as she stuck her hand under a pile of my shirts. "Looking… for… ah! Looking for this!" She cried, pulling her hand out of my drawer with a dark blue V-neck shirt.

"What do you want that for?" I mused, raising an eyebrow at her.

Charlie smiled at me. "Because it shows off my cleavage really well and I'm going with someone to the match this weekend."

I bolted upright in my chair and stared at my mate, my eyes wide. "With who?" I blurted out.

Her cheeks coloured visibly and before I knew it, Kendra had burst into my section of the room, a goofy smile on her face. "You saucy minx! I saw you talking to that boy not two hours ago. How'd you manage a date with him?" She turned to me and muttered slyly, "I can barely get him to talk to me."

"Yeah, that's great Kendra," I said, and immediately felt sorry as I saw her face fall, "and I seriously mean that, but who?!"

"Rehmulsh Lpngh," Charlie muttered, ducking her head so as not to look me in the eye.

"I'm sorry," I mused sarcastically, "I seem to have left my Charlie translator in my other bedroom. Mind repeating that in a human's voice?"

Charlie glared at me but complied. "Fine. Remus. Lupin."

Everything was quiet in the dormitory for a good five seconds before I start screeching and Kendra joined in.

"Remus Lupin?" I cried, a smile plastered on my face. "Remus bloody Lupin? Holy hell, Charlie! I don't think he's spoken to a girl in years!"

Charlie frowned at me, but I could see the edges of her mouth trying not to curl up. "That's not true, Alexandra, and you know it! He just doesn't necessarily go out on dates."

"Yeah, so what happened with you?" Kendra asked curiously, leaning against my dresser. "How'd you manage to snag the un-snagable?"

"Dunno," Charlie said, shrugging her shoulders. "He came up to me in the library after Amelia left and just sat down beside me. We started talking about this and that and then when he went to leave he asked if I wanted to go to the match this weekend with him."

"And you said yes?"

Charlie gave Kendra such a disbelieving look it was almost as if Kendra had asked if Santa Claus was real. "I bloody well said yes, it's flipping Remus Lupin! Do you know how cute he is, and do you know how single I am?" We all dissolved into giggles and Charlie's cheeks turned pinker. "But I do like him," she said, almost as an afterthought. "He's a good conversationalist."

"What did you talk about in the library," I asked, leaning forward on my knees.

Kendra shrugged. "School stuff mostly. He seemed quite interested in what I had to say about Charms."

"Charms? Think he would join a Charms club?"

"We're not forming a Charms club!"

* * *

It was Friday at lunch and the entire Great Hall was buzzing. Just about twenty-four hours until the much anticipated Gryffindor vs Slytherin match. Nothing was more important for either house than the outcome of that particular match, and of course, the House Cup at the end of the year.

The Gryffindors had already started to wear their colours proudly, red jumpers providing a burst of colour on the otherwise black, white, and grey uniforms. They had started some ridiculous chant that I couldn't quite understand due to several of them being exceptionally loud. Almost all of them had the timing off.

Slytherin, on the other hand, had manifested their excitement into snarls and evil glares at the red and gold table, although there were a few house members that displayed their pride with the green and silver scarves. In contrast, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables were quite ordinary, eating their lunch and otherwise ignoring the antics of the other two tables.

Of course, every so often one of the so-called neutral parties would pull out a Gryffindor scarf or hat. Marsha Manson in Hufflepuff even brought a giant stuffed lion that roared when poked with a wand to the Puffs' table. It was no secret that Gryffindor was the team to beat for the Quidditch Cup, but for everyone, Slytherin not winning was a plus. Their not-so-recent antics against anyone of 'sub-par' magical lineage had escalated in the last few years, and even some of their own were fed up with them.

Even I had semi-joined the Gryffindor band wagon with a pair of red gloves stitched with tiny golden snitches that Lily had lent me. Apparently they had been a gift from her mother about three years ago when she had fancied the Gryffindor captain, and ever since her interest in 'Quidditch' has declined, they've collected dust at the bottom of her trunk. As I finished my toast with blueberry jam, I pulled them out of a pocket in my jacket and put them on.

"Ready to go out to the pitch?" I asked Amelia and Alex. Carter and Charlie had already left to get us good seats since actually being able to see the match had become a difficult task. Alex looked up from his almost empty plate of scrambled eggs and bacon mixture and smiled grotesquely. "Please don't answer until you've swallowed," I grimaced.

Amelia glanced over at our keeper in disgust. "Why do boys insist on eating such disgusting foods?" I shrugged in response and she gave a little shudder. "Uh, I can't. I promised I would meet someone. I'll see you later though, yeah?"

She got up quickly and gave a quick little wave as she walked away from us and out of the Great Hall. As I watched her leave, a smile fixed on my face, I felt Alex's eyes on me from across the table. Once Amelia was out of sight, I turned to him and my smile vanished.

"I think she's meeting up with someone," I blurted out excitedly.

Alex gave me a strange look and swallowed the last bit of his food. "Yeah, I think that's what she meant when she said she was going to meet someone. You okay, 'Xandra?"

I rolled my eyes. "I think she's going to meet someone." He still look confused so I elaborated. "I think she's going to meet a boy!"

"Well, you're talking to a boy right now, I don't think it's a big thing," he replied.

I very nearly rolled my eyes again but before I could cynically reply, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Alex's face seemed to turn to stone as he looked over my shoulder. I turned and came face to face to the impossibly blue eyes of one Amos Diggory.

"Amos!" I said, an octave higher than my usual tone.

He grinned and winked at me. "Hey. How are you?"

I felt the edges of my lips curl up in a smile as I continued to look at him. "I'm good. Great actually. And you?"

"Good as always. So I've got a question for you: would you like to hang out with me after the match?" I felt butterflies in my stomach as he chuckled nervously. "I understand if you don't want to–"

"I'd love to!" I squeaked. I looked back at Alex and he was giving me a chastising look that seemed to say exactly what I was screaming at myself in my head. What the hell do you think you're doing? I turned back to Amos and smiled. "I mean, that would be great. I'll meet you at the pitch, yeah? I'll be in the Ravenclaw section."

He smiled and started to walk backwards away from me. "Great! I'll see you there." He turned around and continued on his way, one of his hands reaching up to run through his hair.

I looked back at Alex who had raised an eyebrow at me and was giving me a disapproving look. "That's the kind of boy that Amelia is going to meet up with. A mighty fit one, probably."

"You're kidding," Alex scoffed. "Amos Diggory. Fit?"

I smiled cheekily. "Well, you aren't an easily influenced teenage girl who's seen him with his shirt off after training."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Whatever, we can talk about how delusional you are later. Let's go to the pitch now, alright?"

"Alright," I said, standing up. "But when we're talking about me being delusional, we can also bring up Daisy McMa–"

Alex stood up quickly, knocking over an empty goblet. "Yeah, understood. Let's go."

* * *

The wind whistled through the stands and I was glad for Lily's gloves as it whipped at any exposed skin. My nose was runny and the skin under my eyes was dry, due to wiping away constant tears. The match was already five minutes late because the Slytherin seeker was nowhere to be found. Charlie had hung around us until Remus Lupin had found her and whisked her away, and for some reason, Alex made it his mission to tell everyone on the Ravenclaw team about my upcoming 'date' with one Amos Diggory. Jackson was exceptionally infuriating, always coming up and whispering something disturbing in my ear, or loudly proclaiming his love for me in an attempt to scare Diggory off (even though the Hufflepuff stands were on the other side of the pitch). Even now, he leaned in to say something, but was thankfully cut off by Devon Thomas, the Gryffindor Quidditch announcer.

"And after several minutes of patiently waiting for the Slytherin team of absolute scumbags, the match is set to begin," he started. "Here come the Gryffindors! Black, O'Hara, Spinn…"

I zoned out as Jackson leaned in again, shouting above Thomas's magnified voice. "So, after your date with dumb Diggory, maybe you want to 'hang out' with me as well? I'd love that!" The last part he shrieked, so I turned and hit him round the head.

"You're going to stop this nonsense or I will strike up a conversation with your sister and let slip that you got wasted at the end of year party last year and snogged that unfortunate statue on the third floor," I hissed, staring daggers at him. "So back off."

Jackson seemed taken aback but then grinned. "Alright, 'Xandra. I'll stop teasing you. But just so you know," he lowered his voice and moved closer to me, "that statue wasn't the only thing I snogged that night."

I gave him an unamused look. "Really? Did you have a go at your pillow too?"

"Actually," Alex interrupted, leaning in towards us, "I think he tried to come on to Carter."

"What?" Jackson whined. "That's not even what hap–"

I pursed my lips. "Oh shush, Jackson! The match is finally starting."

He moved away from me in a huff, and I reached over to give Alex a thankful squeeze on the arm. Jackson was still one of the most immature of boys on the team by far, and Alex always knew how to handle him. I needed a mini Alex to bring around in my pocket to ward off Jackson every time he got exceptionally annoying.

Usually that coincided with whenever Kendra got a new boy toy to drag along. For years, it had been a back and forth between the two of them of awkward sexual tension. When the two weren't together, this manifested as just plain unwanted advances or disturbing innuendos towards anyone in Jackson's immediate vicinity, and a new boy every hour (or so it seemed) for Kendra. Since Kendra was currently sitting on some sixth year's lap, I could tell why he'd been so intent on aggravating me.

But that little hiccup was quickly erased from my mind as the match started. Madame Hooch threw the quaffle in the air and the players were off. Red and green raced around the pitch and it was just barely possibly to see Black as he zipped about on his Nimbus. Even Thomas began enraptured with the Gryffindor beater's new broom.

"And there goes Sirius Black, Gryffindor beater, on his brand new Nimbus 1001," he yelled, awe present in his voice. "Look at that acceleration! That speed! The beauty! Oh if only the Quidditch gods could bless me with one of those – sorry professor!"

I smirked as Professor McGonagall hit Thomas on the head with a stern look on her otherwise pretty face. The middle-aged professor had once been the bombshell of Hogwarts, but recent events had aged her considerably and she looked more tired than she usually would. Nevertheless, that didn't stop a few Gryffindor troublemakers from trying to flirt with her in order to get special treatment (to no avail, mind you).

I watched as Black and Spinn, the other beater, raced around hitting the bludgers, silently judging their performance. Black was good. Great even. Spinn was subpar. While Black used his turning momentum to hit the bludgers with even more force, Spinn raced to where the bludger would be, hovered in the air, and then crashed his bat against the flying cannonball. The result was that his hits weren't connecting the way they should've. Then I looked over at Potter. He had officially gone back to playing chaser this year. While I'd seen him play that position in our scrimmage, the Slytherins were unaware, which had seemingly screwed over any of their tactics.

They were flying all over the place, not able to predict where Potter was going to fly, or who he was going to pass to. Their beaters were also a mess, doing the same thing that Spinn was doing, but worse if that was possible. Their hits were going haywire and at one point, they hit one of their own chasers with a bludger. Their seeker, Regulus Black, looked distant on the pitch, almost as if he was terrified for his life, so much so that I saw his own players giving him wary glances, even from where I was in the stands.

"I don't think the Slytherin seeker is doing so well," I commented out loud.

I looked over and Amelia nodded. "He seems off."

"Whatever," Alex put in. "Better for Gryffindor, right?"

We all murmured agreement as we continued to watch. Potter got the quaffle and raced down the pitch, passing with his two other chasers when needed, but otherwise spinning circles around the Slytherin team. Then, without warning, Thomas began to scream into the microphone.

"And can it be? The Slytherin seeker, Regulus Black has found the snitch! The score is now 30 to 180 for Gryffindor, and if Gryffindor can secure one more goal, the match is theirs," he yelled.

I wondered how Thomas could yell so loud and fast without hyperventilating but quickly turned my attention to Potter. As he neared the Slytherin hoops, we all tensed, waiting for it to happen. The Gryffindor captain threw the quaffle up in the air and time slowed. He began to spin, his broom picking up speed as he went. As the quaffle began falling down, it seemed as though everyone in the stadium was holding their breath. I glanced at the Regulus Black, his arm outstretched as the snitch flew just out of reach. The quaffle moved down ever so slowly until finally the end of Potter's broom hit the quaffle.

As the oddly shaped ball soared towards the hoops, and the small Slytherin seeker stretched towards the little golden ball, the entire stadium went silent. The Slytherin keeper reached out, his hands grasping at the air as the quaffle raced through them, his seeker doing the same as the snitch just evaded his grasp. I watched, enraptured, as the quaffle sailed through the far right hoop.

"GOAL!" Thomas screamed, just as the Slytherin side erupted in cheers. "POTTER SCORES JUST AS BLACK CATCHES THE SNITCH!" Thomas yelled into the microphone. "Final verdict: Slytherin with 180 points. Gryffindor… 190 POINTS! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

The stands erupted into roars and cheers as Gryffindors threw hats in the air and began to storm the pitch. Red and gold filled the world as the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws cheered along with them. The Slytherins had been beat and I was just as happy to scream for joy along with everyone else for that fact alone. Everyone around me was jumping up and down so I joined in. The Slytherins were beat, and even better, Gryffindor only had a 10 point lead. I leaned over and hugged Alex. As I pulled away from him I laughed.

"The Cup is ours!" I shrieked!

He laughed as I began doing a victory dance, thrust a fist into the air, and yelled in triumph. I turned and saw Amelia, laughing and celebrating with everyone else, Jackson, yelling something to the Slytherins about how O'Hara's can't be beat, whether they be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, and Carter who seemed elated.

It would finally be our year.

* * *

"'Xandra, it's been twenty minutes. I don't think he's coming," Alex said woefully as he shivered in the harsh wind.

The match had been over for thirty minutes and I had been waiting for Diggory for twenty minutes, Alex by my side. He had been apprehensive about the whole thing from the get go and when Diggory hadn't shown up within ten minutes, he had waited with me.

"Fine, let's just go," I said glumly.

Alex placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, 'Xandra. I know you–"

"Alexandra!" I looked up and saw Amos jumping over the stands to get over to us. "Hey! Sorry I'm late, I got caught up with my team. Glad you didn't run off though!"

I smiled widely and began twirling a strand of my hair. "Oh, it's no problem," I scoffed as Alex snorted beside me. I subtly elbowed him as I stared into Amos's eyes. It was like the sky had all the blue drained out of it and it was put into his eyes. "Really, no trouble at all."

Amos grinned. "Perfect! Well, shall we then?"

"Okay!" I turned to Alex and gave him a warm smile. "Thanks for waiting with me. See you later, yeah?"

He rolled his eyes but jumped over a few benches in the stands, leaving Amos and I on the stands. I stopped twirling my hair and blushed, realizing how strange I was being.

"So you got caught up with your team?" I inquired. "New strategies after seeing the teams this year?"

Amos smiled and my breath caught for a moment. "Something like that. Can't tell you everything though, what with you being the enemy."

"Well you know what they say," I smirked, leaning in. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really now? Well then," he reached forwards, grabbed me by the waist, and dragged me closer to him, "I fully intend to."

* * *

"So I heard you and Amos Diggory 'hung out' after the match."

I jumped and turned to see Charlie giving me a knowing look. I grinned and hugged her.

"Char, I've been meaning to find you! And I could say the same about you and Lupin," I said somewhat accusatorily. "I spent two hours with Amos and then went back to the dorm. Where have you been?"

Charlie blushed profusely and bit her bottom lip. "Remus and I went to the library for a while and just kind of…"

"Did you kiss him?" I hissed excitedly. Her nervous laugh and downcast eyes told me all I needed to know. "Charlie!" I squeaked. "That's so cute!"

She laughed and grabbed my hands. "Yeah, we've talked about me enough, now back to you; what happened with Diggory?"

Thankfully, I was saved from answering her question as Thomas shouted out from the Gryffindor steps: "And the team is here! Please put your hands together for their amazing, wonderful, great captain, JAMES POTTER!"

The Gryffindor common room was the center of parties throughout the year, especially after quidditch matches, be it Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin who won, they never missed an opportunity to party. Of course, the Slytherins were never invited, but usually when they won anything it was a consolation party. Until now, it had been just a gathering, with cups full of goodness knows what and students mingling. But now that the Gryffindor team had arrived, cheers reverberated around the common room, music started blaring, and the lights were dimmed down and began to flash red and gold. The party had started. Charlie and I danced around for a bit, squished in between Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs alike before I began to feel lightheaded.

"I'm going to get some water," I said to Charlie, almost having to yell into her ear amongst the blaring music.

I shimmied through the crowd over to a small table stocked with bottles and a large assortment of mismatched glasses filled with cooled water. A tall figure was busy pouring what looked like firewhiskey into a small shot glass as I approached, and just as I grabbed a glass of water, the boy turned to me.

"Little Miss Ravenclaw! Did you enjoy the match?" Sirius Black grinned cheekily and swirled his drink slightly. "You want one?" he asked, catching my gaze as I looked up from the glass in his hand.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm not one for alcohol," I said. "And the match was good. You've got to train Spinn though. He's not using momentum, like you are."

Black chuckled slightly. "Yeah, he's not much of a beater. We've been trying to shape him up but it's not going so well."

"Well, you could always practice with him on your own time," I suggested.

"Yeah I could do that," Black said, stepping uncomfortably close to me, "but then where would my time for you go?"

I laughed and stepped away. "Well considering there wasn't any to start with, you should get out onto that pitch with him now."

"Oh, you wound me, sweetheart," he said, bringing his hands up to his heart.

I rolled my eyes. "Drink the pain away, sweetheart."

I was surprised when he seemed to ponder it for a moment and then downed his drink. "Well, how about I do that, and then maybe you spend some time with me later instead of Spinn?"

"I don't quite know about that," I said, pursing my lips.

"Well then," he countered, "what about this? If I can beat you in a drinking game, you have to go on a date with me."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I don't gamble, Black."

"Oh come on," he half-whined, "live a little."

I half-smiled. "Maybe later. See you, Black."

"See you, Jamieson," he chuckled.

I turned away and couldn't help but smile as I brushed a few strands of hair from my face. Black was annoying, no doubt, but maybe he was right. I did need to live a little. As I tried to get back to Charlie, without realizing where I was going, I bumped into a couple who were sucking face in the middle of the impromptu dance floor.

"Sorry," I apologized. "So sor– Amos?"

Amos Diggory had turned around when I bumped into him, lipstick stains on and around his lips. A pretty sixth year Hufflepuff was draped on him, a coy smile on her face.

"Alexandra," he started, giving me a sorry look. "I'm really sorry, but it's not as if we were exclusive, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Sorry again."

I walked away, no caring where I ended up. I just wanted to get away from him. Amos Diggory had gotten me caught up in his handsome smile and I had forgotten why girls tried to avoid him like the plague. Now I remembered: he didn't care who he hurt as long as he had a girl under each arm. When I finally got out of the large group of people on the dance floor, my chest hurt and I found myself in front of the drink table. Sirius was still there, mixing drinks for one of the Gryffindor girls in our year, and as soon as he saw me, his easy smile slightly faltered. I remembered what he had said before.

"I'm ready to live a little," I said, willing my voice to be level and for my eyes to stay dry.

He smirked and handed me a shot glass with what I assumed to be firewhiskey in it. "About time."

* * *

 **A.N.: I would like to thank my amazing Beta pixileanin without whom this story would a) have a different and less exciting plot, and b) literally dedicates time to making this story better and I will never be able to thank her enough.**


	4. Upping the Ante

Three hours after the unfortunate Diggory incident, I was having the time of my life. A large group of people had massed around the drink table which had since been cleared off. So far, I had avoided the multitude of drinking games, but to be fair, I had already had more alcohol than I normally allowed myself. I'd acted the fool several times already by screaming in approval when someone lost horribly. But it didn't seem enough for the Gryffindor beater.

"Thought you wanted to live a little," Black said in my ear as we watched Potter and Lupin play beer pong with a snitch against Kendra and Lily, with Muggle alcohol that Potter had smuggled in. "Come on, let's play. We could put a wager on it."

"I don't gamble, Black," I sighed, leaning against him as I started to fall over. "Anyways, what's the point of these games? Getting smashed? I'm feeling nauseated already, I don't think more alcohol would be good for me."

Black shrugged and put his hands on my shoulders in a way that suggested just a hint more than trying to help me stay upright. "How about you and I play, and you can use water if you'd like."

I shook my head. "Don't think so. Playing any sort of drinking game against you is basically asking for defeat."

"Unfortunate, isn't it?" Black smirked. "Kind of like playing Quidditch against me, but you subject yourself to that all the time."

I snorted and turned to face him fully. "No, I'm pretty sure I can beat you any day, Black."

"Doll, with me as beater, there's no way that Gryffindor will lose the House Cup," he bragged.

"Why don't you put your money where that mouth is, Black," I half-slurred.

"Thought you didn't gamble, sugar."

I hiccoughed. "Yeah, well you're annoying me. What, are you scared or something? Always had you pegged as somewhat of a coward."

He crossed his arms and leaned in so close I could see little gold flecks at the edge of his irises. "Coward, eh? How's five galleons? Easy money."

"No, too easy," I said, shaking my head violently. I was starting to get a headache but thought nothing of it. "Fifty galleons. Take it or leave it."

Black stepped back and gave me a look. "Well that's certainly upping the ante. You sure you have fifty galleons to spare, darling?"

I laughed. "Don't worry about me, worry about the fact that you're going to help buy my weight in chocolate frogs! Now, get three shot glasses of Firewhisky and three glasses of water. If we're going to play a drinking game, I'm going to get myself hydrated."

"Gambling and a drinking game?" Black asked. "Have I broken you, Alexandra?"

"No," I breathed, turning and watching as Kendra sunk the snitch in Potter and Lupin's last cup to the delight of the crowd. "I'm living a little."

* * *

"Okay, rules of the game," I announced, well aware that the majority of the Gryffindor common room was watching me, including Charlie who seemed unimpressed. "One, you can't touch your opponent's glasses. Two, no magic. The objective of the game: I have to drink these three glasses of water before you finish off your three shots of Firewhisky. Understood?"

Potter stepped forward and laughed. "Seriously? Come on, Sirius will knock this out of the park. It isn't even a challenge."

I stared the boy right in his hazel eyes and smirked. "Why isn't there some kind of wager? Charlie," my best friend made her way up next to me and smiled, "can take your bets down."

"'Xandra," I heard in my ear and turned to see Alex's face, "are you okay? I saw Diggory and I–"

"Alex!" I interrupted exuberantly, throwing my arms around his neck. "You're just in time to see me take down this cocky Gryffindor." I yelled the last part and the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

"Cocky, eh?" Black laughed. "Now I definitely won't feel guilty when I beat you at this."

Charlie was busy placing down bets and I turned to look at her. "Char, who's bet on me thus far?"

"Alex, Lily, Remus, and me."

"And on Black?"

Charlie raised her eyebrow at me as she placed three sickles into the velvet bag Potter had been using for the wagers on his games and then wrote down the name of the sixth year Gryffindor boy. "Everyone else."

I smiled sweetly and turned back to Black. "How about a wager amongst ourselves. If I win, you have to admit I'm the better beater and speak in rhymes in the next Potions class."

"Fine by me," Black said, "because _when_ I win, you have to go out on a date with me."

A hush rushed through the crowd and my smile faltered for a moment. Alex slowly grabbed my wrist beside me and quietly told me to back off the challenge if I wasn't feeling comfortable. I snatched my arm away and smiled coyly at Black.

"Let's do this then. Bets are closed, we're starting now." I grabbed my first glass and raised it. Black did the same and we clinked glasses. "Three," I started.

Black smirked. "Two."

"One," I breathed, bringing the cup up closer to my lips.

"Go!"

I began to chug down the water, a small bit dribbling down my chin onto my shirt. Black downed his first shot and began to laugh.

"I still feel kind of guilty not giving you much of a chance," he chuckled, picking up his second shot glass, "so I'll wait until you're done that, shall I?"

 _Wrong move_ , I thought gleefully as I drank down the last bit of water. I quickly turned the cup over in my hand and slammed it down on top of his last shot, essentially creating a barrier with the glass. As I grabbed the second cup of water, I relaxed as Black stared at what I had done. He threw back his second shot and made to move my glass before Alex reached out and put a hand out to stop him.

"Can't touch your opponent's glass mate," he said, grinning.

Black's face went slack for a moment before a large grin etched across his features. I couldn't help but smile as well as I finished my second glass of water. I took a moment to breathe and let the water settle in my stomach, delighting in the struck faces of the crowd around me. Potter's jaw was hanging loose, Lily looked smug to Potter's left, their hands a little bit too close for friends. Alex stood emotionless beside me, and Charlie twiddled her fingers with the drawstrings of the velvet bag. Confidently, I picked up my last glass and began to drink the water, all too aware that I would have to take a bathroom break in the next half hour because of this stupid game. As soon as I was done, I slammed my glass on the table and the already quiet common room seemed to go quieter.

"I think we're done here," I slurred, reaching out to grab Alex's shoulder as I walked around the table and made my way to the Gryffindor portrait hole. "Who's the better beater, Black?" I yelled over my shoulder.

"Alexandra is the better beater; just as she's the better reader," he quipped.

I smiled and turned to Alex who was helping me walk in a straight line. "Let's hope he doesn't forget it."

* * *

"I was an idiot last night," I groaned, my head pounding from the million little hammers that seemed to be hitting it.

Alex, who sat across from me, smiled. "Yes, you are. But damn, that idiot holds her liquor. At least you didn't throw up. Heard Lily had a hell of a night too."

I groggily pulled my head off the Ravenclaw table and stared at the Gryffindor table until it was in focus. I looked for the familiar patch of fiery red hair and sure enough, Lily looked as miserable as I felt, yet somehow even more so as she was staring daggers at her eggs while Potter was giving her cautionary glances.

"Yeah, well learning that you, the Head Girl, danced on tabletops and almost took off your shirt before the irresponsible Head Boy got you down and had someone put you to bed is probably reason for the sullenness." I looked over at Alex and grinned. "Although, it could also be because she loudly proclaimed that Potter was the best Head Boy candidate and if anyone continued to have a problem with it, she'd take that up with them herself."

Alex snorted into his pumpkin juice, spilling it down the front of his shirt. "Must've missed that."

"It was probably during one of your many bathroom breaks," I teased.

"As I've told you before," Alex groaned, "alcohol is a diuretic. It stops the kidneys from reabsorbing the water due to the reduced production of vasopressin, which is also why you get dehydrated when–"

"Yeah, I've heard it all before," I interrupted. "Jesus, I still can't believe you aren't going into Healing."

Alex smiled through a disgusting mouth of bacon and eggs. "What can I say? Investigative coroner just sounds so interesting."

I rolled my eyes and brought the last piece of my waffles up to my mouth. "So instead of using your brain to save people, you're going to use it to help Aurors figure out how people have been murdered."

"Ah, but I am going to be saving people," Alex mumbled. "Think of all the people I could save by helping Aurors catch one Death Eater. Each little nasty has their own signature, you know. I read about it in–"

" _Marcuz Brennenmen's Investigative Coroner's Report_ ," we chorused.

I had heard all about Marcuz Brennenmen and his so called career as an Investigative Coroner. Alex was obsessed. He had almost bought a ticket to the lunatic's book signing before I made him realize that going to a book signing during our O.W.L.s was probably the worst idea if he ever wanted to become an investigative coroner. To be completely honest, I thought it was a bunch of horse crap, but Alex had made it clear that he was going to pursue the career of his choice.

"Well, seeing as you've stopped inhaling your breakfast, mind if we go to the library quickly? I need to check out a book for Alchemy." I stood up, accidentally knocking the table as I did so, almost knocking over Quincy Adams' glass of water.

Alex chuckled and got up as well. "Onwards, to the library then!"

* * *

Potions class was an absolute madhouse the next day. No one was in their seats and even Professor Slughorn was not half-asleep in his chair as was expected. I shot a look at Lily from across the room but she just smirked in response. As I turned to look at Charlie, I heard his familiar voice snaking around the room, rhyming to the delight of our classmates.

"This bet I lost is not the end, and even still the rules I'll bend! Fool me once and shame on me, but next time I'll shame you baby," Black crowed, his grey eyes sparkling as he made his way through the crowd towards me. "Your winnings miss I did not forget, but I'll make it back by the next bet." He handed me a large cloth bag that clinked and jingled like money would. "To win a happy man would make, and maybe then I'll get that date."

Black raised an eyebrow at me but I rolled my eyes and blew past him, the galleons in the cloth bag jingling as I stepped. I sat at my usual desk next to Lily's empty chair as she had somehow managed to snag a seat next to Remus Lupin as the rest of the class was preoccupied with Black's antics. As the annoyance in question sat down and the energy in the room fizzled out, Alex sat down next to me and smiled questioningly.

"Sorry in advance?" he asked quietly. Alex was notoriously bad at Potions, always forgetting steps, misreading them, or repeating them to the dismay of Slughorn. It had taken hours of studying in fifth year to get him to an Acceptable. "I'll follow your lead I promise."

I finally smiled at him and nodded. "Just listen to me and we'll do fine," I whispered as Slughorn walked to the chalkboard and began writing in his quick, stiff writing.

 _Shrinking Solution, Bludge's Book of Potions_ he wrote, underlining the words with a dramatic flair before turning back to us. With his trademark nod, Slughorn shuffled back to his desk and sat down, his pudgy body undoubtedly engulfing the tiny chair on the opposite side. I looked over at Alex as he pulled his Potions kit out of his bag. Shrinking Solution was exceptionally difficult to brew but he had a determined glint in his eye.

"Let's knock this out of the park," he quipped determinedly.

I smiled and directed him to get our ingredients; two Shrivelfigs, four daisy roots, hairy caterpillars, a vial of Infusion of Wormwood, four leeches, a rat spleen, and cowbane. As soon as he left for Slughorn's cupboard, I set about setting up our workspace. I hooked my Bunsen burner up to the workbench gas nozzle and lit the miniscule fire, setting the cauldron over top of it as soon as the flame stayed constant and small, barely licking the cauldron. I took out a juice press, a spoon, two knives along with two cutting boards, two pipettes, an Erlenmeyer flask, and several graduated cylinders. As Alex came back, I grabbed the Shrivelfigs from him and put them through the juice press, filling up the 50ml graduated cylinder with their ruby blood quickly. I poured the liquid into the cauldron and grabbed the spoon.

As I slowly began to stir the Shrivelfig juice, I looked over at Alex who seemed to be aimlessly standing beside me. "Could you chop the daisy roots?" I asked, tipping my chin up quickly in the direction of the _Book of Potions_.

Alex nodded and dragged his finger across the page that detailed how to brew the _Shrinking Solution_. He stopped at step four and nodded more to himself than to me before grabbing the daisy roots, a knife, and a cutting board. He began to julienne the roots and then finely chopped them as I turned the dial on my Bunsen burner and stirred, allowing the flames to creep up the sides of the cauldron. As soon as Alex had finished with the roots, I had him scrape them into the cauldron and passed the spoon to him as I grabbed the bottle of caterpillars. I threw five of the little critters into the cauldron, pulling a grimace as one got stuck on the edge of the cauldron and almost wriggled out.

Alex knocked it back in with the spoon. He chuckled at my expression and bumped me with his hip. "Not too fond of the caterpillars?" he asked, knowing full well of my distaste for all wriggling things.

I frowned at him as I picked up the Essence of Wormwood and began to shake it. I kept it up for about a minute before my arm started to tire. I grabbed a pipette and pulled a small amount of the wormwood up into the plastic tube. I squeezed it into the red liquid in the cauldron and told Alex to stir faster, which he did instantaneously. I grabbed the juice press and rushed over to the class sink, rinsing my instrument quickly and getting back to the table.

I took the spoon from Alex and used it to point at the tray of leeches. "Juice those and don't let one get attached to you." I gave him a stern look and he smiled.

"I promised I would do what you said didn't I?" He smirked at me and I couldn't help the sides of my mouth curve upwards just a bit.

I continued to stir as Alex juiced the first three leeches into the 100ml graduated cylinder, the meniscus barely reaching 60ml where we needed three-quarters of our leeches juiced to be. Just as my arm started to ache and I turned to ask Alex if he was almost done, I saw his face go white. I looked down at his hand to see the last leech stuck to his thumb. I may be terrified of creepy crawlies, but Alex was absolutely petrified of blood. Why he played Quidditch, one of the most dangerous wizarding sports, I would never know, although the overall inactivity of the Keeper position probably lent to that. He looked at me eyes wide and then, lightning quick, began to try and yank the leech off his hand.

"Alex!" I cried, garnering the attention of those nearby. "Alex, calm down. Go over to the sink and run it under cold water." He gave me a frightened look, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights. "Go!"

He did as I said and I quickly got Carter to abandon Charlie for a moment to take over stirring my potion. I ran to the supplies cabinet and grabbed the vial of small white granules. Racing over to Alex at the basin, I caught a glance of Black, lounging about as Pettigrew frantically tried finishing their potion on his own. I would've brought this to Slughorn's attention but considering he had barely even noticed Alex almost fainting, I didn't think he was in the mood for waking. I reached Alex and unscrewed the top of the vial, grabbing his hand from out underneath the steady stream of water as his face contorted with pain. The little white crystals tumbled out and stuck to wet skin as I tipped the vial over, some dissolving but most staying the way they were, surrounding the leech as Alex fidgeted beside me.

"What is that?" he whimpered, his expression that of a puppy you were about to leave for an hour.

I rolled my eyes and rubbed the granules onto the leech. "It's salt, relax. This should get the leech off easier. Get it off, rinse the little bugger well, and get back to the table, all right?" Some colour had returned into my friend's cheeks and he let out the breath he had no doubt been holding. I smiled reassuringly and said, "It'll be okay. Just get back quickly or I'll flaw you because I am _not_ botching this potion."

Alex laughed softly at my attempt at a threat. I got back to our cauldron and relieved Carter, thanking him for helping us out. He made some comment about my owing him a chocolate frog, although considering my little cloth bag of galleons, I would probably end up repaying him in that way. A few minutes later, Alex was back, the incriminating leech in the juice press. He squeezed it ferociously; obviously the leech's attempt to suck his blood made this personal. I slowed my stirring rate as Alex placed the rat spleen in the Erlenmeyer flask, shook it with gusto, and then added it as well. At this point the potion was extremely volatile so I stepped back a little, stirring exceptionally slowly with my arm extended.

"It's not going to explode, is it?" Alex asked apprehensively.

I smiled at him. "Not unless you get that cowbane and add a splash." He did as I said and turned the dial on the Bunsen burner until the flames flickered up the sides of the pewter cauldron. "Not too fond of leeches, are you Alex," I teased, revelling in the way his face flushed.

"I just don't like the thought of its teeth in my skin," he answered, "because I always imagine some tiny vampire."

I laughed. " _I vant to suck your blood!_ "

"It's not funny, 'Xandra," he protested, although judging by his chuckles he wasn't too mad about it. "Should I take the spoon now? It says to wave your wand in this really complicated manner and I'm more comfortable if you do it."

I nodded and we switched places. I took out my wand, all eleven and three-quarter inches of the shiny light brown acacia, and waved it about exactly as the textbook detailed. I felt a rush as the springy piece of wood in my hand produced sparks over the potion, causing it to bubble rapidly. Alex stepped back, dropping the spoon and looking at me horrified.

"Is it going to explode now?" he whispered.

I glanced at the textbook and saw nothing wrong with my technique. "It shouldn't. We've done everything perfectly."

And then, for the second time in a week, the Potions class was rocked by an explosion.

* * *

We were let out early after Pettigrew and a surly looking Severus Snape's cauldron had blasted about a gallon of half-finished Shrinking Solution onto them and their surroundings. I'd always thought that Snape's nose could do with a little shrinking, although apparently he was not happy with it the size of a pea. Pettigrew hadn't seemed all that bothered that his hand had been shrunk, until he realized it had also gotten on his left shoe before he could take it off and we had all watched the both of them walk (in Pettigrew's case, limp) to the Hospital Wing where Mademoiselle Pomfrey would put them back to their normal selves, the entire class stifling giggles. After a minute or so, I managed to convince Alex to go to the Hospital Wing as well, if only to disinfect and seal the little pinpricks the leech had left.

"I still can't believe Snape didn't murder Pettigrew right there," Alex laughed.

I snorted and nodded quickly. "I know! Pettigrew looked like he was going to wet his pants! You don't mess with Snape and his Potions."

Alex smiled. "How much you want to bet that one of these corners we turn, we're going to find Pettigrew unconscious?"

"I don't gamble," I retorted. Alex raised an eyebrow at me so I just responded with, "Lost the taste."

"Fine, but you can't honestly tell me you don't expect that as soon as I open this door," he stopped at an empty classroom to our left, his hand on the doorknob, "we won't find Pettigrew wrapped up like a mummy?" As if to prove it, Alex swung the door open to reveal a couple passionately eating each other's faces. "Oh, sorry!"

As he fumbled with the door, the boy turned to us and I stiffened. "Diggory," I hissed. He smirked at me and I felt bile rise up in my throat. How could I have ever thought he was fit as could be? "We'll just be on our way then."

Alex slammed the door shut. "God, 'Xandra, I can't believe that happened. I'm so sorry. I know how much you like him."

" _Liked_ ," I spat. "I _liked_ him. God, how could I have been so stupid." I stormed off, berating myself under my breath. There were quite a couple of colourful swears, so much so that Alex looked taken aback as he kept up beside me. "I swear on Merlin's trousers that if I see that awful, horrid, absolute arsehole again I'm going to shove my foot so far up his arse he'll taste leather."

Alex caught my shoulders, forcing me to stop. "'Xandra, he's an absolute wanker, I understand. But you can't give him any space in your head. What's the opposite of love?"

"I never loved hi–"

"Doesn't matter. What's the opposite of love?"

I rolled my eyes. "Hate, obviously."

"No, indifference. Amos Digory lives off the attention of girls, the negative and the positive. So, don't give him any."

I thought about it for a moment before sighing, defeated. "Why are you so smart Alex?"

He grinned and pointed at himself. "Ravenclaw."

I laughed and pulled him in for a hug, his solid arms wrapping around me. "What would I do without you Alex?"

"Crash and burn, darling. Crash and burn." I laughed against his shoulder. "But in all honesty, you'd be fine. You might have gotten a better mark on that Shrinking Solution too."

I laughed again and pulled back, catching his gaze. "Nah, you were a stellar Potions partner."

"Really?" His eyes brightened and I nodded.

"Definitely."

"Better than Lily?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't push it."

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling in a way I had never noticed. And then I did something that the no-gambling, no-partying me would never have done. I kissed him.

* * *

 **A.N.: I would like to thank my wonderful Beta, pixileanin and also Penelope Inkwell, who has reviewed every other chapter and honestly, leaves such beautiful reviews. The both of you keep me going!**

 **Also, EDIT: I changed the name of this chapter to "I Vant To Suck Your Blood" instead of "Upping the Ante" because of what happens next chapter. Hope you like the name switch, and feel free to tell me what you think in that n there!**

 **EDIT MORE: I rechanged the chapter name, due to preplanning this for NaNo, so hope you guys are excited!**

 **Lo :)**


	5. Immortal

It barely crossed my mind that I was kissing Alex until I felt the scratchy stone press into my back through my robes. I opened my eyes and pushed him back ever so slightly. Breathing heavily, I brought a hand up to my forehead and smiled fearfully.

"Is there any way we can just forget that happened?" I whispered, bringing the hand on my forehead back to run through my hair. Alex looked dumbfounded. "I'm just very emotional right now," I explained, "and I wasn't quite sure of what I was doing. I'm so sorry."

Finally Alex gave his head a little shake and smiled at me. "No don't be sorry." I relaxed a little and leaned back against the wall, relieved. "And it's okay, we don't have to forget about it."

With that he stepped forward, his lips crashing down on mine again. I'm not going to lie and say he's a right awful kisser, but it was as if I was kissing Charlie. Just plain weird. I'd known Alex for over six years now and had never thought of him in this way. I pushed him away again and shook my head slowly, tears forming in my eyes.

"I'm sorry. Just forget it."

I turned and walked away when my footsteps were interrupted by his voice. "How am I supposed to forget this?" His voice was strained. "I've been in love with you for three years now. How am I supposed to forget this when it's all I ever wanted to do?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw his dejected look; the sagging shoulders, the desperate look in his eyes. My mind raced from the words he had just uttered but I wasn't able to force myself to feel even an inkling of attraction towards him. But why couldn't I? Alex was basically the epitome of what I wanted in a guy. Attractive, funny, caring, interested in Quidditch (bloody hell he was a phenomenal keeper!), smart. But when he kissed me I couldn't feel butterflies in my stomach and I was thinking of someone else.

"I don't know," I finally answered. "But I need you to."

And then I took off the tears finally running down my cheeks. Why I was crying was a mystery. For heaven's sake, a boy just admitted he loved me! But I couldn't shake one face from my mind as I hard as I tried to. I found an empty corridor and snuck behind a tapestry to find a secret stairway. Sitting down on the third step up, I began to bawl, the tears cascading down like waterfalls. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before someone found me.

"Alexandra?" a soft voice asked.

I looked up and saw none other than Sirius Black. He looked worried and I noticed him sticking a small, square piece of parchment into his trousers pocket. I hiccoughed and laughed sullenly, burying my face into my hands.

"Oh this is just bloody perfect. I really don't have the patience to deal with you right now," I sniffed. I felt something warm press against my right arm, pushing me towards the one side of the stairs and realized that Black had sat down beside me. "Please just go away," I pleaded.

I heard him chuckle and he put an arm around me. "But how else am I going to push your buttons today?"

I looked up, fully aware that my mascara had probably left black tracks along my face and that my eyes were puffy and red, but I couldn't have cared less in that moment. "Well you seem to be able to do so just by being near me, so I don't doubt you could manage."

Black started laughing softly and I quickly joined, the giggles interspersed by sniffles.

"Do you want to talk about why you're sitting on a hidden staircase crying your eyes out?" Black finally asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

I sobered up, wiping at the wetness under my eyes. "No thanks. Instead, why don't you tell me how you found me? And why the hell you care."

Black ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "You first."

"You're impossible," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm not about to divulge my life story to you in some hidden stairwell that you just happened to stumble upon."

"Happy coincidence, I say. And I didn't ask for your life story," Black continued, "I asked why you were crying."

I scowled at him. "Well I'd rather not say. Can you just leave it at that?"

Black sighed and ran a hand through his hair. I noticed that the black strands were flecked with white frost, which seemed strange given that snow had only just begun to fall recently. He stood up and turned to me, a knowing smile on his face. He held out his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, but I'm going to cheer you up."

I looked at him warily but took his hand nonetheless. "And why would you do that?"

Black shrugged and pulled me up so that our chests were an inch apart and I could count the barely visible freckles on the bridge of his nose. "I need an alibi. Can't turn the Slytherin common room into a skating rink without an alibi can I?"

"Well that depends." He looked at me questioningly and I smiled. "Did you manage to freeze Snape in there?"

His grin said it all.

* * *

"I really don't think I should be in here," I hissed, eyes wide as I surveyed the Gryffindor common room.

Being in another house's common room was strictly prohibited, although no one really took much thought to the rule when parties were concerned, but for a Ravenclaw to be in the Gryffindor common room in the middle of the day? Especially considering I was there with the notorious Sirius Black.

"Oh come off it," Sirius said, obviously unfazed about the whispers that might circulate if we were caught. "Anyone who isn't in class doesn't give a damn about anything else. Even if they did, they'd be quiet if you just gave them a cig."

I stopped dead and gave him a withering glare. "Oh yes, because I trust the kind of people who skip class to go smoke cigarettes on the rooftops."

Sirius surveyed me, his eyes travelling up and down my body in a way that made me feel self-conscious. "You're also skipping class. I wouldn't judge them too much. You have no idea what some of those people have been through."

A strange feeling washed over me as I felt my stomach clench. Guilt, that's what it was. As I stared into Sirius's grey eyes, I saw that he was one of those people, and I felt even worse.

"Sorry," I whispered.

Sirius's harsh features softened and he smiled. "Now let's go," he said, giddy as a puppy.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me across the common room, leading me up a flight of stairs until we reached his dormitory. Sirius smiled at me and gestured towards the door. I apprehensively reached for the doorknob and turned it, the overwhelming smell of campfire blasting out of the room.

"Good God, are you roasting marshmallows in here or something?" I asked as I walked in.

In fact, there were no marshmallows roasting, but the source of the smell was a large heater in the middle of the room, heat emanating from it in huge blasts. I could tell the boys had somehow jinxed it to be hotter than usual since no one else I knew had their room the temperature of a sauna.

"Why the bloody hell would you turn this heater up so high?" I asked incredulously. "You're basically making this room a breeding ground for mold." I looked over my shoulder at Sirius and balked at his sheepish grin. "You bloody idiots are trying to make mold?!" I all but screamed.

He moved closer to me and smiled cheekily. "Would it make you feel any better if I said we planned to put it in the Slytherin's Quidditch robes before each of their games?"

I frowned and very nearly smacked him upside the head. "Mold is dangerous to live with!" I yelled. "Bloody hell, you're going to get yourself killed for a ruddy prank!"

"Now, why are you so uptight about this, Jamieson? Would you miss me too much?" he teased, his easy smile contagious in the sense that I couldn't keep the corners of my mouth from turning up as well.

I crossed my arms and attempted, and failed, to frown. "Well, I can't let my top competitor die before the recruiters show up and watch me kick your arse."

Sirius laughed and I couldn't help laughing along as well. He had a nice laugh; deep and sincere. I looked around the stiflingly hot room and sighed.

"So what did you expect to do up here?" I asked, slowly making my way around the furnace.

Sirius's face lit up with a grin and he almost leaped over to the bed directly across from the door. The Gryffindor dormitories were very different from the Ravenclaw ones, and not just due to colour. The room was very open and all the beds had the ends of them pointed inwards towards the furnace, a personalized trunk at the foot of them. They had four-posters and scarlet hangings were drawn away from each bed except one – the one directly to the left of what I assumed to be Sirius's. Judging by the over-powering stench of sweat and the presence of Quidditch robes, only just visible under the red curtains, it had to be James Potter's. The one immediately next to that one, the one directly on the left of the door when you entered, was neat and tidy and the large stack of textbooks, along with what looked like scribbled plans at how to rig the plates on the Slytherin table in the Great Hall to throw rolls in the air, it had to be Remus Lupin's. Only he could be the mastermind behind the seventh year Gryffindor boys' antics. Because of the guitar next to the bed to the immediate right of the door, that one had to be Frank Longbottom's, and therefore the last bed, between Sirius and Frank, had to be Peter Pettigrew's.

It was strange, being in the boy's dorm without them. It felt like I was invading their privacy somehow. All the beds had dressers to the right of them, and most of the boys had photos of their families on them. James's had several photos of an older couple who were always smiling. Frank had a photo of Alice Prewett, his sixth year girlfriend. Remus had lots of muggle books about other places on his dresser and several boxes of tea along with a dingy mug. Frank had his guitar, of course, and lots of posters of obscure muggle bands I'd never heard of. The only poster of his I recognized was of Jimi Hendrix.

"Yeah, Frank's the one who introduced me to Hendrix," Sirius said nonchalantly, interrupting my reverie. "He's the one who got me into muggle music."

I looked over my shoulder at him to see him on his knees, rummaging for something under his bed. Suddenly, he pulled a box out and grinned triumphantly.

"What's that?" I asked, stepping closer to take a look.

Sirius reached inside the box and pulled out an old record player that looked like it had seen better days. "I bought this last year after I left home. Thought that I might as well start doing muggle things to truly piss of the 'rents."

The air suddenly grew tense Sirius never really talked about his family, except to assure people that he was not like them. He avidly avoided his brother in the corridors and seemed intent on disproving people's initial beliefs of him due to his last name.

"Well do you have any records," I mumbled, trying to ease the tension.

Sirius burst into action and jumped onto his bed. For the first time I noticed little shelves cut from the walls right above each boys' bed. The one above Sirius's bed was stuffed with records and he pulled one out, hiding the cover from me. Curious, I stepped back and watched him work. He placed the record on the player and set it up perfectly, like most muggles would do. But then he waved his wand and muttered a few words and the record player sprang to life, the plug lying lifeless beside it. Sirius looked up and smiled at me as the familiar sounds of Jimi's Purple Haze rang through the air.

I smiled too, remembering the day he had gotten his Nimbus 1001. "Well, at least you've got a good memory."

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't remember the small things?" he said in such a way that I felt butterflies in my stomach. "Purple Haze all in my brain, lately things don't seem the same, actin' funny but I don't know why, 'scuse me while I kiss the sky," he mused, stepping closer to me.

I smiled hesitantly and began to tap my foot on the ground in sync with the song, but also crossing my arms as he came closer. He smirked and began to snap in time with the song, bopping his head and shaking in ways that were too strange to be called dancing.

"Purple haze all around," he sang, reaching out and grabbing one of my hands, uncrossing my arms and trying to get me to dance, "don't know if I'm coming up or down," I obliged and began to dance (badly mind you) along with him as he continued to sing, "am I happy or in misery?"

I laughed as he pretended to play a guitar and shake his head and continued to dance. But suddenly, he looked up and grabbed my hands, pulling me closer and staring right into my eyes. It was a battle of green versus grey and at the moment, he was winning.

"Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me."

My breath caught in my throat and I felt frozen as his face slowly came closer and closer to mine. Our noses touched and then suddenly –

The dormitory door slammed open and Frank Longbottom threw himself on his bed. Sirius and I sprang apart. Sirius flew back onto his bed, tripping over his trunk in the process, but I had flung myself into the heater and the only thing I could feel was searing pain up my right arm. I screamed in pain and jumped forward, falling on my knees and barely registering the tears that ran down my face as the pain in my arm tripled. I could barely hear someone banging on the dormitory door and calling Frank's name as Sirius rushed to my side and grabbed my arm. I screamed in pain and flinched away from him. He looked down at my arm and his eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"It's bad isn't it?" I winced, taking in his horror and shock. "God, I'm such an idiot."

Sirius just looked at me like a deer in headlights so I stood up, the pain in my arm shooting up and down, from my upper arm all the way down to my wrist. Tears were still falling down my face but I ignored them as I slowly walked over to the door where someone was very much trying to get in. I threw open the door to see Alice, Frank's girlfriend, who also had tears streaming down her face. She raced over to Frank's bunk and sat down beside his prone body.

"Oh god, Frank, I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

Still standing in the doorway, I turned back to Sirius who seemed flabbergasted. Obviously he had never dealt with severe injuries and emotions before. Boys. So one dimensional in the sensitivity department. He looked over at me and suddenly snapped out of it. One moment he was over by the heater and the next he had me in his arms and had carried me over to his bed.

"Don't worry, I can fix this," he said calmly. "It's not as if we haven't gotten a few burns from that blasted thing anyways." He smiled in what I assumed was supposed to be a reassuring way, but with the pain in my arm, I really couldn't believe him. He got me to lay down on my stomach with the burnt part of my arm facing up. "This is going to sting terribly," he said.

"At this point," I said, my teeth gritted, "I'll take it."

He grimaced and pulled out his wand. He waved it over the burns twice and suddenly my arm went numb. I was about to sigh in relief when ice ran through my veins and suddenly my arm was being pierced by hundreds of tiny needles at the same time. I almost wanted the burning pain back but almost as soon as it started, the stinging pain left. I sighed with relief and Sirius seemed to relax. But, of course, the chaos didn't end there. Alice was still sobbing so I shot up and raced over to her.

"Frank, please. Just say something," she was crying. Frank was just lying on his bed, face-down in his pillow. "Please, Frank."

"Alice, what's wrong?" Sirius said from behind me. I jumped and he put a hand on my shoulder as Alice continued to sob. "Alice, please, I think we might be able to help."

Alice didn't say anything but just held out a letter. Sirius took it and as he read it, his face fell.

"Holy shit," he whispered, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth in horror.

I tried to look at the letter but it was angled in such a way that I couldn't. "What? What is it?"

Sirius looked at me with dead eyes, but the voice that answered my question wasn't his. It was the hollow voice of someone who had lost so much, muffled slightly by the fact that his face was covered by a pillow.

"My dad's dead."

* * *

Minutes after Frank had said those three fateful words, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall knocked on the seventh year Gryffindor boys' dormitory in search of Frank. Professor Dumbledore took him to the headmaster's office where his mother was waiting for him while Professor McGonagall consoled a frightful Alice. Judging from quips here and there, Frank's father had been big on muggle rights and opposing Lord Voldemort. Due to his blood status as pureblood, he had been targeted by Death Eaters for quite some time now, but today he hadn't been as careful as he usually was.

When Professor McGonagall had seen me standing in the middle of the boys' dormitory she had given me a strange look and asked why I wasn't in class. Sirius made up an excuse about having gone over Quidditch plays and lost track of time, although the suspicious look she gave me indicated that she didn't quite believe him. Quickly after that I had left in a hurry, Sirius not far behind.

Now, we were wandering around the corridors, walking in a state of shock, not making a sound. If I wasn't constantly aware of my breathing, the silence in the halls could've made me believe that only the dead walked around. It seemed as if the rest of the castle knew about Frank's loss because as soon as class got out, everyone else went their own ways, classrooms went empty, and common rooms were packed.

Although many muggleborns had to leave in the past few weeks due to the loss of loved ones, this was the first death of a pureblood in this war, based solely on his egalitarian mentality. The Slytherins seemed to enjoy the dark atmosphere, but everyone else was concerned about their own families. Half-bloods who once only had to worry about one side of their family and purebloods who had never need for worry were now in the same boat as the muggleborns. No one was safe and we knew it, but for now, I was glad for the presence of someone beside me.

* * *

It was the day of our first match, although none of us were really focused on it at all. Since Frank's father had been attacked, the Death Eater had been more rowdy than usual, as had the Slytherins. Carter had pushed practices back so early that some days we didn't eat dinner but none of us were very concerned about our own health. Here in the castle, it felt as if we weren't mortal. We could live forever, but our families and friends were at risk.

Although games usually brought about the best in us, the air inside the change room was somber. Carter tacked up game plans on the blackboard with magnets but didn't give us a speech; instead he was sitting in the corner writing a letter to his mother. I had briefly looked over what Charlie and I had to do and relayed it to her as she meticulously braided and unbraided her short hair, a sign that she was nervous. Jackson had taken an hour long shower this morning before the match, Amelia had begun biting her nails, a habit she had curbed herself of last year, and little Tom seemed to distressed too tie up his gear properly. On my end, I had begun to scrape off the nail varnish I had applied last night, a nervous tick that had resulted in dozens of nail varnish bottles scrapped over the years. But it was soon game time and we all knew we absolutely had to win, and with Hufflepuff as our opponents, it wouldn't be difficult.

Carter ended his letter and stood up, grabbing his broom and heading to the door of the changing room. As the universal sign of 'get ready, we're up,' the rest of us grabbed our broomsticks as well and followed him, leaving Tom to scramble about for his and chase after us. I took a deep breath as we followed Carter down the corridor that led to the pitch and squinted as the bright sun filtered its way through the cracks of the wooden structure.

The air was brisk as it usually was in November. Small patches of frost crunched under our feet. The beater's bat in my hand was cold, as was my Shooting Star, and I was glad for the fingerless gloves I had that offered some protection from the winter air. Carter turned to look at us and said the only thing that could've helped us at that moment.

"Let's just do what we do best and worry after the game, yeah?"

We looked around at the faces that had become family and nodded. It was time to do what we did best. And we were going to beat the Puffs so bad that Gryffindor would rue the day they ever thought they had a chance at the Quidditch Cup.

* * *

Ten minutes in and we were leading by 150 to 20. Hufflepuff was struggling hard and I was very happy to knock the bludgers in Diggory's direction every time he was in the play. As their star player, he really never had any reason to include anyone else in his plans, but as Charlie and I neutralized him as a threat, their team was struggling. The frigid air only helped us stay awake this early on a Saturday, although judging by the quiet crowd, many of them were either asleep or uninterested. It made sense, of course, since our team was flying circles around the Hufflepuffs. The only spectators that were really cheering were the Slytherins, although their jeers seemed to put down both teams at the same time.

At one point, Charlie hit a bludger at their stand but that slimy git Severus Snape just flicked it away with a wave of his wand. I could tell that the rest of the Ravenclaw team just wanted to get it over with, but Tom seemed to be having some trouble locating the snitch. Even I had to admit, the harsh winds couldn't be helpful, but I began to get frustrated as Jackson scored yet another goal, bringing the total up to 160 to 20. Although I didn't enjoy slaughtering the other team, sometimes we couldn't do anything else. Our chasers had to keep warm and we sure weren't going to let the Puffs shoot against Alex on the off chance that one of them could actually hit a target. So we kept flying, passing about the quaffle, hitting bludgers at our opponents, ignoring the taunts of the Slytherins from their stands.

Carter yelled something out to Jackson and Amelia once they scored another goal and they seemed to back off, but even as they didn't try, Amelia still scored through a play that the Puff keeper should've read better. It was 180 to 20 and I just wanted everything to be over. Suddenly, I heard cheers from the crowd and saw Tom chasing after something, the Hufflepuff seeker trailing behind. I took my chance and blasted a bludger at a distracted Diggory, and as it hit the end of his broomstick, he went spinning out of control. I rejoiced as I saw him slam into the Slytherin stands and fall five feet down before he seemed to retake control over his broomstick, then quickly felt fear rush through my veins as he glared at me and began to fly over.

The sound of Madam Hooch's whistle signalling the end of the match stopped both of us in our tracks, however, and I turned to see an exhausted Tom holding the tiny little golden ball in his hand, the score 330 to 20. I breathed a sigh of relief and flew over to congratulate Tom.

"I can't open my hand, Madam Hooch," he was saying. "Can I get this back to you after we get warmed up?"

The elderly flying instructor frowned but seemed to accept the predicament, leaving our team to hug Tom in congratulations.

"You did marvelous Tom," I said as I squeezed him. "Great job!"

He beamed and hugged me back, his tiny little arms shaking from the cold. "Thanks, but could we maybe go back inside the changing room. It's bloody freezing out here."

We all laughed and headed back inside, huddled together like a group of penguins trying to keep warm.

* * *

I had taken longer than usual to shower in order to loosen up my frozen muscles with hot water. By the time I'd gotten out, I was the only one in the changing room, bar Alex. We didn't talk or even acknowledge each other. I packed all my things into my blue duffle bag and tied my hair into a knot on the top of my head, the water on it surely going to crisp up in the cold air, but that was nothing a well-placed heating charm couldn't fix. I headed out, leaving Alex with only a curt nod, shivering as the heavy door opened and let a blast of cold air hit me in the face. I shoved my hands in the pockets of my coat, squeezing them shut and opening them to try and keep the blood flowing through my fingers.

"Hey, Alexandra!" I turned to see Sirius, leaning against the wall of the Ravenclaw changing room. He jogged over to me and smiled. "Great game. I especially liked your last hit. Diggory had no idea what had happened."

I chuckled and shrugged. "What can I say? I enjoyed the look on his face as he hit the stands. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Yeah a little," Sirius grinned, "but then again, most of the student body would be given those parameters."

I felt butterflies in my stomach as he laughed. We reached the castle and he opened the door, waving me to go in first.

"Thanks," I said quickly, practically leaping inside to escape the cold air. "So, are you going to tell me exactly why you waited outside for me?"

Sirius ran a hand through his dark hair and let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, about that. I wanted to know if you were going to the next Hogsmeade visit, and if you weren't going with anyone, if maybe you wanted to go with me."

I smiled uncontrollably and bit my lip in an attempt to hide it. "Yeah, that sounds fun. Meet in the Great Hall at ten?"

"Great! I'll see you then," he said, stopping as I began to climb up the Grand Staircase. "I've got to go, but I'll see you soon." He began to walk away from, albeit, walking backwards.

"Alright, bye Sirius," I giggled as he almost tripped over his own feet.

As I turned away from him and ran up the stairs, I couldn't stop smiling. I had just been asked to Hogsmeade by Sirius Black, and I couldn't wait.

* * *

At dinner that night, the Ravenclaw table was elated. Even the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs seemed to have no worries. A Quidditch match was the best way to bring the castle together in sports-related bliss. The only discrepancy was Dumbledore's absence, but seeing as the headmaster sometimes didn't come down for dinner due to 'headmaster related duties,' as he called them, no one really seemed to notice. The Great Hall was so loud it felt like the match had never ended and we were in the stands. I had just grabbed a chicken drumstick when the doors of the Great Hall swung open forcefully and Dumbledore strode down the aisle. All the tables quieted down and suddenly I didn't feel like eating anymore. Judging by Dumbledore's facial expression, he was about to give us bad news. He made his way to his Owl Lectern and faced us solemnly.

"It is my utmost sorrow to announce that there has been an attack on our beloved town of Hogsmeade this afternoon, resulting in the death of one of our esteemed faculty. Professor Brandenburgh was a man who epitomized the qualities our staff is required in order to facilitate proper learning in all our students." Professor Dumbledore took a deep breath and continued on. "He was devoted to his students of every year and demonstrated an intense knowledge of the Dark Arts and the defense against such. This announcement is not made with haste.

"St. Mungo's has been tireless in its efforts to revive him. Due to the nature of this announcement, I have decided to postpone lessons until next week to allow you, the students, some time to properly mourn your professor. We will remember Professor Brandenburgh as the man he was, and as the man he was as he died – a man fiercely opposed to the discrimination of other wizards due to their blood status." The Great Hall quieted even more if that was possible. "Professor Brandenburgh," Dumbledore sighed, "was murdered by the followers of Lord Voldemort due to his personal convictions of what constitutes a wizard. He has changed us all in the few months he has been a part of this institution, and I would like for all of us to take a moment and remember our friend, our colleague, our mentor, our teacher, Professor Brandenburgh."

There was only silence before benches were scraped back against the stone floor and three-quarters of the Great Hall stood, food forgotten on plates, wands left haphazardly on table cloths. I felt tears race down my cheeks as I thought about how I had been celebrating as Professor Brandenburgh was probably fighting for his life. As I looked up, I caught Charlie's eye. She was crying as well, and the sparkle that usually gave her eyes life was gone. I wondered if one day her eyes truly would be dead, and what exactly I would do if I lost her.


	6. Dominic Maestro's Music Shop

For an entire week, I didn't leave the Ravenclaw common room. Not many others did either. House elves brought food up to us so that we wouldn't starve. None of the professors came to see us, not even Flitwick, although they had known Professor Brandenburgh better than we had. As seventh years, Charlie, Kendra and I had talked about how this would affect our N.E.W.T.s. Our professor had died. Surely we weren't going to be up to par when the next professor arrived, so what would we miss? In light of the tragedy, it probably wasn't what we should have been thinking about, but nonetheless it was something to keep our minds off Professor Brandenburgh.

I was sitting on the loft over the study area when the door knocked for the first time that week. My spot on the loft was perfect for watching the door and the study area, right next to the central heater. My arm had healed nicely, thanks to Sirius, but I was still wary next to the square heater. As a fifth year opened the door, I peered out from behind the heater to see Professor Flitwick walk in, his height dwarfed further by the exceptionally tall bookshelves that lined the common room walls. Flitwick looked better than he had the day we learned of Professor Brandenburgh as he walked over to the bulletin board and hung up a piece of parchment. As he left, I stood up and made my way to the bulletin board, as did many others. I pushed through the throng of younger students until I could finally see the announcement.

" _Hogsmeade visit the second weekend in December not cancelled. Path to Hogsmeade will be decorated with paper lanterns for Professor Brandenburg. Not mandatory, however expected._ "

I felt something lift off my shoulders as I read that. I'd forgotten about the Hogsmeade visit for a little while, but truthfully, I wanted to go. Strange as it may be, I wanted that date with Sirius to get my mind off things. By remembering Professor Brandenburgh in such a beautiful way, I wouldn't feel so guilty about it. I smiled tearfully and pushed away from the crowd, running down the staircase to the study area. The floor to ceiling windows looked out over the Great Lake, and the sun was shining on it in a beautiful and melancholy way, fitting to the situation. I made my way to the secret door that led to the girls' dormitories and pulled on The Absolute and Complete History of Powerful Witches that opened the passage. I ran down to the second last floor, the seventh year girls' dormitory, and burst into the room.

"They're having a memorial," was all I said before Sydney broke down into joyful tears and Kendra finally opened the curtains to her bed.

* * *

It was Saturday, the day of the Hogsmeade visit, and the entire Ravenclaw common room was filled with students in black clothes and holding paper lanterns. Mine was decorated with magic drawings that depicted red sparks shooting out of a wand and also a picture of Professor Brandenburgh. I saw others similar to mine, the entire Ravenclaw house doing their best to remember Professor Brandenburgh right. The large clock struck ten, and Carter opened the door. First went the first years, then the second years, then the third years and so on. Leave it to emotionally drained Ravenclaws to need this kind of order. Seventh years went last.

I grabbed Alex's arm as we walked out. The past few weeks had brought us almost back to where we had started. We didn't talk as much as we used to, but I could hold onto him like this because I needed to steady myself, and it wasn't awkward. We left the common room slowly, Jackson shutting the door behind us solemnly and then taking Kendra's hand. We all needed someone right now. We walked down to the Great Hall and sat down quietly at our table, some grabbing a piece of toast to eat, some drinking a bit of juice, some of us ignoring the food all together. I managed to snag a treacle tart from a plate on the table and ate it quickly.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins were already seated but one house was missing. Within a minute of us sitting down, the Hufflepuffs walked in similarly, although slightly less organized. Several of them were weeping and were given handkerchiefs almost immediately by another housemate. I saw Diggory as well. He wasn't crying but his eyes were red. I almost felt sorry for him. As soon as the Puffs were seated, they began to pick at the food laid out on the table as well.

After about ten minutes, the professors stood up and began to walk out of the Great Hall. The Gryffindors stood up first and followed them out, then it was us Ravenclaws, followed by the Hufflepuffs, and finally, the Slytherins. We walked to the Entrance Hall and paired up as we left the castle. As we reached the path that led to Hogsmeade, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall broke off and placed their paper lanterns on either side of the path. Next came Professsor Flitwick and Professor Slughorn. By the time everyone had put their lanterns on the sides of the path, we found ourselves in Hogsmeade where the residents of the town were standing solemnly, paper lanterns visible in the windows of shops and flats.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore raised their wands and waved them simultaneously, lighting the lanterns on each side. We all stood there for a moment, leaving Professor Brandenburgh with another moment of silence. Then, the professors began to make their way back to the castle along with some of the students. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Sirius.

"I completely understand if you don't want to, but I was wondering if we were still on," he mumbled.

I smiled and felt tears in my eyes. I had no idea what was happening to my emotions but I hated it. "I'd love that. Let's get out of here."

He smiled sadly and took my hand. We left the path of lanterns tearfully, the cold air appropriate for the occasion.

* * *

We were at the Three Broomsticks, unnaturally empty for a Hogsmeade weekend, but that was to be expected. Sirius ordered two Butterbeers and an order of chips which came to our table at lightning speed. I nursed my butterbeer and picked at the chips, wondering what to say. Thankfully, I didn't have to decide as Sirius spoke up.

"I can't believe it's almost Christmas," he said. "Are you doing anything for the holidays?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Nah, just going to stay here with Charlie and wreak havoc in the Ravenclaw common room."

Sirius gave me a curious look and grabbed a chip. "You wreak havoc? I don't think that's possible."  
"Oh really?" I ate a chip and smirked. "Guess you haven't heard of the infamous vanishing Rowena Ravenclaw statue last year. Flitwick had a conniption."

Sirius chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I haven't. So you aren't going back home to spend time with your parents?" I stiffened and he seemed to notice that. "Oh, I'm sorry. Family isn't a very good subject for me either."

"It's nothing," I reassured him. "It's just that I lost my parents when I was young. My older sister and my aunt's family raised me."

"I'm sorry," he said, reaching over to grab my hand. "I didn't know."

I pulled my hand away. "I know, don't worry about it. It happens, that's all. They were Aurors. They knew there were dangers."

"Still," Sirius interrupted, "I'm sorry. If you want, you can always come over to James's house for Christmas. His mum loves to cook, so one more mouth to feed would make her day."

I shook my head. "Thanks, but I've got a tradition with Charlie. Anyways, it isn't Christmas without eating all the treacle tarts that the house elves can make."

Sirius laughed and ate the last of the chips. "Fair enough. How about New Years?"

I thought about it for a moment before saying, "I think we could do that. Could I bring Alex and Carter and the like?"

"Well," Sirius said mischievously, "it isn't New Years without crashing a Muggle party is it?" I laughed as he downed the rest of his butterbeer. "Now hurry up, we've got to get to Honeydukes before all the good candy is gone." I tried to chug the rest of the butterbeer but ended up just choking on it. "On second thought, leave it. I can get you another one later."

* * *

We spent about an hour in Honeydukes looking at all the candy. Turned out that Sirius had a sweet tooth that could rival mine.

"But Mice Pops actually have a taste," I argued as we waited in line to buy our sweets. "And they're made here, instead of wherever Ice Mice are made. Small, home-style stores always have more flavour than corporate candies."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms, the basket in his hand swinging with the displacement of the heavy tin of Choco-Loco he had in there. "But Ice Mice are great. Just recolour them, stick a popsicle stick in them, and trick your friends."

I sighed. "That's not the point of candy. Candy isn't supposed to be a joke, it's supposed to be eaten." I placed my basket on Mr. Flume's counter and waited as he punched in the amount I owed for each item and placed them in a Honeyduke's bag. "If you want to trick your friends, go to Zonko's. Honeydukes is for pure amazement at the deliciousness of sugar."

Mr. Flume rang up my purchase and I handed him the galleons I owed, pocketing the sickles of change he gave me back. Sirius placed his basket on the counter and waited as the portly man rang up his purchases and bagged them.

"Candy can be used for a variety of things. If I want to prank someone, I'm not going to discriminate against candy!" he protested.

As Mr. Flume brought up Sirius's total, he finally chimed in. "The lady's right. Home-style candies have more flavour."

Sirius blushed as he paid the man. "But couldn't I use the Ice Mice to prank my friends?"

"Well," the older gentleman said, leaning forward over the counter and lowering his voice, "I wouldn't use Ice Mice personally. I'd buy Acid Pops and Blood-flavoured lollipops and switch their labels. But since you've already paid, I'll give you these as a test run." He handed Sirius an Acid Pop and a Blood-flavoured lollipop.

After we thanked Mr. Flume and left, Sirius opened his Fudge Flies. "Mr. and Mrs. Flume are the best," he said, biting into one.

I nodded and dug in to my Pink Coconut Ice. "They make the best candies too. I wish my parents owned a sweet shop."

We walked around Hogsmeade, eating our candy. Every once in a while, I would take something from his bag and vice versa. It was nice, not to have to talk. Sure, we would remark on something in the shop windows, but it didn't seem forced. We could just walk beside each other and be happy, something that only happened to me when Charlie was around. I hadn't taken account of where we were going until I looked up and saw the Shrieking Shack ahead. I stopped dead in my tracks and Sirius had to double back after not realizing I wasn't walking beside him anymore.

"What are you doing?" he asked, shoving a chocolate frog in his mouth.  
Ignoring the fact that he had just shoved an _entire_ chocolate frog into his mouth, I looked at the old house and shivered. The windows and doors were boarded up, the roof rotting in certain places. "Well that's the Shrieking Shack. I've heard the Hogwarts ghosts talk about it. Apparently the ghost that lives in there is so malicious that they're too scared to go near it. I bet someone was murdered in there."

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're scared of a little haunted house," Sirius teased. "It's just rumours. The guy didn't even kill his children, it was just his wife."

I almost got whiplash I turned to look at him so fast, my eyes almost bugging out of my face.

Sirius began to laugh. "I can't believe you actually believed that," he chuckled. "All I've heard is that there was a man whose wife killed herself in that house. He died a few days later from heartbreak."

My hand flew to cover my mouth. "Oh my God! That's not much better!"

Sirius shrugged. "Sometimes things like that happen. Come on, let's go back to the village."

He grabbed my hand and I looked over my shoulder to get one more glimpse of the haunted house. My first impression was that it was old and dingy and obviously abandoned. But now that I had seen it up close, the architecture looked modern and stable, and the nails weren't rusty enough for it to be as old as the stories made it out to be. Something was wrong with the Shrieking Shack, and although I wasn't about to put on my detective cap and try and figure it out, maybe I would keep my wits about me whenever it was mentioned.

* * *

"Have you ever been here?" I asked, pulling Sirius into Dominic Maestro's.

I had found the music shop years ago with Charlie. Since then, we'd always made a point about popping in to say hello to Dominic. His shop was quite hidden, and far enough away from the rest of the village that most Hogwarts students wouldn't bother with it

Sirius looked around the tiny music shop and shook his head. "Never. I didn't even know Hogsmeade had a music store."

Just then, a thin old man with crazy white hair that stood up all over the place and a long, white coat stuck his head out from around a corner. Sirius jumped and took a step back.

"Dominic!" I cried, rushing over and giving him a hug.

Since Charlie and I had found the place, Dominic had become sort of like our eccentric uncle who adored music. Although we could never really buy anything, we always spent almost an hour in his store, playing with all the different instruments. I had a piano when I was younger and to my surprise I could still remember a few songs, and Charlie somehow excelled at the oboe, while Dominic seemed to be gifted at everything.

"Alexandra!" he exclaimed, squeezing me. "How are you _chérie_?"

"I'm good, Dominic. How are you?"

The old French man shook his head. "Bah, absolutely horrible. Zat young professor who died, 'ee enjoyed my shop. Was a good friend. And now I 'ave no customers." Dominic stopped suddenly as he saw Sirius behind me. "Ah! And 'oo iz zhis? You bring me customer, Alexandra?"

Sirius stepped forward and thrust a hand out. "Sirius Black, sir. Unfortunately I'm not a customer."

Dominic frowned. "You bring me no customer, Alexandra? Bah, vat good are you for, _ma belle_. I shall be in zee back, tuning my new 'arp. Do not break anyzing."

With that he waddled off, leaving Sirius in a state of shock. I giggled and tapped him on the chin to tell him to close his mouth.

"How do you like Dominic?" I asked.

Sirius shrugged. "He reminds me of my uncle. What did he mean by not breaking anything?"

I smiled. "Come with me. Dominic lets me play with the instruments whenever I come around."

I dragged him over to where a beautiful oak piano stood. The dark wood was so beautiful and richly coloured. It was my favourite of all the (three) pianos that Dominic had in store. I sat down on the soft plush cushion of the piano bench and began to play.

 _C, C, E, G.  
A, A, C, E.  
F, F, A, C.  
G, G, B, D._

Over and over again, this melody was the only one I could play without fault no matter how long ago my mother had taught me. I was so involved in the song that I didn't realize that Sirius had sat down beside me. He began to play the accompanying piece to the song that Haley had learned but I never had because I was too young. I smiled and we continued to play, faster and faster, trying to trip up the other one, until finally he screwed up and his hand landed on mine. We laughed and I rested my head on his shoulder. Right then, he threaded his fingers around mine, and squeezed my hand.

"I'm glad you agreed to hang about Hogsmeade with me today," he said, his voice gruff.

I took my head off his shoulder and looked right at him. "Thanks for asking me."

He smiled and ran the hand that wasn't holding mine through his hair. "So, could I call this a date?"

"Well," I pursed my lips questioningly, "do dates usually constitute kisses?"

"Usually, I guess, although this doesn't have to be a date," he stammered.

I laughed and brought my other hand up to cup his cheek. "Well then I guess this is a date."

And then I kissed Sirius Black and he kissed me back. And I was soaring.

* * *

We walked back to the castle hand in hand, pointing out all the little things on the paper lanterns that reminded us of Professor Brandenburgh and laughing as we remembered some of the things he used to do. The sorrow of his passing seemed eclipsed with the joy associated with the memory of him. Once we reached the Entrance Hall however, we were assaulted by none other than James Potter and Lily Evans, who were, surprisingly, holding hands as well.

"Did you hear?" Lily wheezed. "Dumbledore's hired another Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!"

I stepped away from Sirius a little bit, but he kept hold of my hand. Lily seemed to notice our interlocked hands and then looked down at her and James' hands, quickly letting go of him and crossing his arms.

"Really? Does anyone know who it is?" I asked.

"Nope, but apparently he's arriving today," James spit out quickly, obviously as excited as everyone else.

Lily seemed to be quite offended by his words however. "It doesn't have to be a man, James. It very well could be a woman."

"Well yeah, Lils," James interjected, "but usually men are better at Defence."

Lily's cheeks flared. "Oh really? Well I guess women are just better at realizing what utter gits men are because obviously you can't see anything past your humongous head!"

And with that, Lily stormed away, James trailing after her like a little puppy, a constant stream of 'I'm sorry, Lily' falling from his mouth. I looked over at Sirius and laughed.

"He's hopeless," Sirius shrugged. "I better go after him and make sure he doesn't say anything even more stupid. I'll see you later, yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Sirius leaned down and kissed me on the cheek before running after Lily and James. I stood there, paralyzed by what had just happened until Kendra and Charlie came running up to me.

"Oh my Rowena, did what I think just happen actually happen?" Charlie asked breathlessly.

Kendra nodded. "I think it just did. Sirius Black just kissed her on the cheek."

Even though my cheek was tingling and I couldn't stop a smile from forming on my face, I rolled my eyes. "Calm down. It's not as if we're getting married. It was just a kiss on the cheek."

Kendra grinned. "Yeah? Tell that to the fat smile you have on your face. First, a kiss on the cheek, then a kiss on the lips _in public_ , soon you'll be married with seven kids and shagging in every corner of your beautiful little country house."

I rolled my eyes. "God, you're impossible. Anyways, when's the new Defence professor supposed to get here?"

" _She_ has just arrived," Lily put in, coming up from behind Kendra. "I bloody freaking told you, James."

James and Sirius appeared, and the latter came over and gently threaded his hand around mine. Lily pushed in between Charlie and Kendra as James stood on the outskirts of the circle looking dejected.

"I didn't say that women _can't_ be Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers," James whined. "I said that it was probably going to be a man because they're–"

"I think we should go check out this new Professor," Kendra interrupted, obviously sparing James from putting a second foot in his mouth. "Come on."

We walked over to Viaduct Courtyard and moved some of the younger students away so that we could have a clear view. Yes, we probably shouldn't have done that, but honestly, how many times a year are you going to see a new professor arrive at Hogwarts? We waited patiently as a figure walked into the courtyard where Dumbledore was waiting to greet her. As she grew closer we saw that she was bundled up in furs and a hat. She greeted Dumbledore with a kiss on each cheek.

"Well she's obviously French," Kendra whispered. "No one on this bloody island would do that."

Just then, a small Slytherin piped up. "Yeah, that and the fact that her name is Millefeuille. Honestly, for Ravenclaws you aren't that bright."

James turned to him, anger flaring in his eyes. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you, _Snake_. Run along to your Death Eater mum and cry to her if any of these girls end up handing you your arse in a duel."

The little Slytherin scampered off and Lily hit James upside the head. "You don't have to be so rude!"

"I was just protecting the honor of your friends!"

"My friends can very well protect their own honor, God, it's like you try to annoy me. Do you? Actually don't answer that."

I tuned out Lily and James's fighting as Dumbledore drew closer with this mystery woman. She had taken off her hat and her face was now more visible, as was the long dark hair that flowed down her back. She had a slightly pointed chin, and even from this distance I knew she had blue eyes. The same ones that stared at me whenever I was with Haley. Her face was one that I could recognize in my sleep, even after all these years. That smile I had seen when she taught me the piano and watched me cook with my father in the kitchen. The hair she had passed down to me, the bone structure that Haley had gotten and I had stolen parts of. _You're seeing a ghost_ , I thought. _It's a ghost._ I felt my head spin and I slumped over into Sirius.

"Holy shit," I gasped as the air around me thinned and black danced at the edges of my vision. "Holy shit."

As she passed me, the woman looked me right in the eye and no recognition flashed across those familiar baby blues. And that's when my heart broke due to the loss of my mother for the second time in my life.


	7. Triggered Memories

Finding out the mother you thought had died over eleven years ago when you were six is actually still alive could be very traumatic for some. I had to learn about it after the death of a professor, my mother being the replacement professor, who didn't even recognize me or my name as she called attendance. As she told us all about how she had spent the past ten years in France working as a Professor at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, the only thing running through my mind was how she had skipped out on those ten years with me. To say the situation was awkward was a horrific understatement. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"Alright class," Professor Millefeuille said cheerily, putting away the attendance sheet, "where shall I start?" I couldn't think of her as anything but Professor Millefeuille. If that woman had ever been my mother then that part of her was gone. "This year we will be reviewing everything from last year as well as learning some new spells, such as the Patronus Charm, the Reductor Curse, and the Legilimency Spell. For obvious reasons, I will be doing some theory on the three Unforgivable Curses and, if I see fit, we may attempt the use of the Imperius Curse," the entire class began to whisper amongst ourselves, " _for practical uses only,_ " she emphasized. "Now, shall we review?"

She walked over to the projector and turned it on with a tap of her wand.

"Nonverbal spells. I should expect all of you to be proficient in these by now. If I see anyone using anything but nonverbal spells in my class, I will send you to detention faster than you can say _I'll try again._ " She turned and smiled at us but the entire class had gone silent. She tapped her wand on the projector and the slide switched. "The Unforgivable Curses. There are three. If you can't name them all by now, you may as well buy your grave plot and have a tombstone made. This year we will be discussing defense against these spells and we _will_ have a practical exam on them, for which these permission slips must be signed, giving your consent to being subjected to the Imperius curse for the duration of one class period, three times a week starting next week. The woman turned to stare at me as I squirmed in my seat, her eyes shining almost in delight at my unease.

She turned, her blue eyes piercing as her wand moved and slips of parchment flew about the room to each of us. "I want to hear no complaining about sticking to the curriculum in this matter. Your previous instructor was to leave you grossly underprepared for the world outside these castle walls. I, on the other hand, believe that expecting nothing yet preparing for everything is the better course of action." Another tap, another slide. "Levicorpus, the Disarming Charm, the Stunning Spell, the Reductor Curse, the Patronus Charm, the Tickling Charm, the Shield Charm, the Fire-Summoning Spell, and the Legilimency Spell. All of these are required to pass your N.E.W.T.s." She turned to us and smiled sweetly, but the voice that came out of her mouth was anything but sweet.

"We will be starting with the Legilimency Spell today, so that I can accurately judge your level in this class. Those I feel are adequate will be given a three. Those I consider subpar will be given a one. Everyone else will be given a two." Professor Millefeuille took a moment to look around the room. "Threes will be given special privileges such as extensions on assignments and less scrutiny from me. Ones will not be given any such liberties, and I will need to see vast improvement in the next few weeks in order for you to stay in my class. Anyone whom I believe is not capable of keeping up will have to drop this class by February."

The class got quieter if that was possible. I had, thankfully, passed with an Outstanding, so I wasn't as worried, but unfortunately I couldn't say the same for Charlie, who had a look of horror in her eyes. She had barely passed her O.W.L. with an Acceptable, and could barely produce a nonverbal spell. Mary MacDonald raised her hand and Professor MilleFeuille called on her.

"But Professor Brandenburgh let us in with an Acceptable. And by February, we can't switch into any other classes. And anyways, Legilimency isn't supposed to be taught."

Professor Millefeuille smiled sweetly again. "Well, I'm not Professor Brandenburgh, and I don't allow for failure in my class. Either you're good enough or you're not. And as for Legilimency, I'm preparing you for the outside world." She smiled at the rest of us. "Now, shall we begin?"

* * *

Professor Millefeuille had us come up to her office individually, and when people came out they either looked horrified or elated. Usually it was the former. She also had us separated on different sides of the classroom based on who had already gone and who still had to go. When she finally walked out onto her office balcony and called my name, I looked at Charlie who squeezed my hand and I walked up the stairs, nervous about what I was going to find. When I entered, she gestured for me to sit down in the chair directly across from her.

"Alexandra Jamieson. It says here you got an Outstanding in your O.W.L.s." She looked at me questioningly. I nodded and she smiled. "I'll be the judge of that." With that she raised her wand directly at me with her sickeningly sweet smile. " _Legilimens._ "

 _I was sitting at the piano, Haley guiding my small little hands across the keys. My mother stood behind us, a hand on each of our shoulders. Even in my memory I could remember her smile._

 _I was at the platform watching Haley go off to Hogwarts, my hand tucked safely into my aunt's. She squeezed it and whispered to me that one day I would be boarding the train like Haley would, and my parents would have been so proud._

 _I was in class, performing the patronus charm, the wispy golden retriever bouncing about the classroom._

 _I was in class performing nonverbal spells, each hitting their mark perfectly._

 _I was in Hogsmeade, laughing and eating candy with Sirius. We were walking, simply walking._

 _I was in Dominic Maestro's Music Shop with Sirius, sitting at the piano. He was leaning in closer and closer and suddenly his lips were on mine and I was flying and –_

I screamed, mad that this woman who should have known these things about me was only learning them through invasive Legilimency. Suddenly, I felt as though someone had stepped out of my mind, but also as if I was somewhere different.

 _It was Haley's first birthday, one that I had only seen in photos. She had pigtails and bright pink bows. My mother stood behind her, laughing as our father took the photo._

 _It was the day I was born and she was smiling down at little baby me, Haley and my father standing next to her hospital bed._

 _It was the day she had supposedly died, early in the morning. She crept into my room and woke me up by kissing me on the forehead. Then we woke up Haley and we all made pancakes together until my father walked in and chased us out, laughing at how badly we burned the pancakes. My mother kissed us goodbye, hugging us longer that day than usual._

 _It was the day of her supposed funeral. I was standing next to Haley, my left hand clenched hard in hers, my right clutching the small stuffed bunny rabbit that I would give up a year later. She was watching from the forest near the church as a bulky man in a suit came up to Haley and I, dropped down on one knee, and hugged us as we cried into his shoulders._

 _It was the day she had arrived and she was walking by me. My face betrayed my horror but she kept walking._

"Get out of my head," Professor Millefeuille hissed. I looked up, shaking my head to get rid of the memories. "Get out." I balked, not knowing what to do. Professor Millefeuille started shaking, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Get out of my office!" she roared.

I raced out, taking the stairs two at a time. I could feel Professor Millefeuille come out after me, her footsteps more menacing than anything Professor McGonagall could pull off.

"Next," she hissed, staring out over the class. "And Miss Jamieson?" I turned around, terrified. "Get out of my class."

I turned and walked out, tears threatening to spill. I felt like screaming and sobbing at the same time. She knew who I was to her. She had known all along. I had spent years under the name she had given me, hidden away in a castle she must have known I called my home. And she had never made any effort.

* * *

In my dormitory, feelings I didn't know how to explain suddenly formed in words on tear-stained parchment. The woman I had thought was my mother was actually a fraud, a cold bitch that held nothing in her heart for me. How I could ever have mourned such a woman tore at the memories of watching Quidditch pressed against her side, of painting her nails every colour of the rainbow, of baking cakes with my sister. It took me an entire hour and three sheets of parchment, but I finally managed to finish a letter to Haley, the only one who would actually be able to understand what I was going through, the only one who really deserved to know everything. Every letter on the page was a plea to my sister, begging her to help me through this. Knowing her, she might not want to come anywhere near Hogwarts if that woman were still around, so the words had to mean something. The parchment soaked up my feelings of abandonment, or sorrow, of longing, and I hoped that Haley would realize this and come to me.

I left the dormitory, the envelope holding my folded letter held tightly to my chest. Mumbling to myself under hushed breath, my blood boiling as I thought about Professor Millefeuille, I hadn't noticed the crouched figure had stood up and followed until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey," Sirius said quietly. "Are you okay?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked at him. "What did she see in your head?" I whispered hoarsely, my hands shaking with fury.

Sirius ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. "I don't think it was as bad as yours, considering she didn't kick me out." I raised an eyebrow at him and he continued. "It was a lot of memories of what we did in class last year, but for some reason a lot of them were about the Christmas I had when I was seven."

"That's strangely specific," I frowned, starting my walk to the owlery again. "Do you know why?"

Sirius shrugged. "No idea. Don't really like to remember family events to be honest."

I nodded. From him, that wasn't very surprising and I didn't want to push it. "Was that it?"

"Well, almost." He turned to me and smiled sheepishly. "There was also when we were in Maestro's shop."

I blushed. "Why do you think that was there?"

He shrugged and put an arm around me nonchalantly. "Probably because it was what I was thinking about. It's all I've been thinking about."

I felt my cheeks flush even more. "Really? And why is that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged again. "Maybe because ever since then all I've wanted to do was this."

And with that he put his hands on my waist and tugged me closer, kissing me like he had on the piano. I almost melted, my knees threatening to give out. My hands snaked up to tangle in his hair and hold on to his neck, the letter forgotten. When he finally pulled away, he smiled at me, his grey eyes shining.

"I didn't want her to see that," he explained, "so I pushed her out." I smiled sheepishly and stepped back, slightly embarrassed at how quickly I had been to return the kiss. Sirius raised his eyebrow and crouched down to pick up my fallen letter. "What's this?"

My good mood instantly crashed. "It's for my sister. Give it back."

I held out my hand but Sirius just smirked. "Oh, is this the letter talking all about how you met a handsome devil who kissed you in a music store and stole your heart?"

Even his easy grin couldn't make the situation less stressful for me. I just wanted him to give the letter back. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"No. Now give me back the letter."

"Oh, come now," Sirius said coyly, "you can tell me all about how you told how you feel like flying when I kiss you and how we're going to get married under the stars and –"

"Just give me back the fucking letter!" I shrieked, tears threatening to spill out again.

Sirius seemed as flabbergasted as I did and stared at me. "Look, I didn't mean –"

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my hand shaking as I held it out in front of me. "Just please give me back the letter."

Sirius wordlessly held out the letter and I grabbed it, hugging it to me as if it was the only thing in the world, stomping away.

"Can I ask why it's so important," Sirius said, his long legs making it easier for him to keep up with me as I tried to get away. I stayed silent so he continued. "I'm sorry. If I hit a nerve, I really didn't mean to. If you would just –"

"Just what?" I asked, my voice dangerously low. "Just tell you what this is about?" I fumbled with my robes for a moment before pulling out an old photo, one from my fifth birthday. I threw it at him. "Fine. You want to know why it's so important? Figure it out yourself."

And with that I walked away, the tears finally falling. I knew that I was out of line, that Sirius was only trying to be there for me, but honestly, I didn't want him to be.

* * *

Since writing to Haley, I had gone back to every class but Defense Against the Dark Arts. Flitwick had called me into his office at one point, but I had spewed something about woman problems and he had gone so red I would've sworn he was a tomato except for the fact that he had showed me out of the room with his wand that sent up several showers of sparks. Leave it to male professors not to know how to handle "woman problems," especially since they had been happening for over a week.

After the great Legilimens fiasco, as everyone was calling it, I had also sent a letter to my parents' old supervisor. As Aurors, their deaths hadn't been exceptionally surprising. It had happened during the raid of a rumoured Death Eater compound, but at their funeral he had been the one to drop down on one knee and offer help at any time – all we had to do was owl. I wouldn't have even remembered the funeral, let alone thought of him, had it not been for the Legilimens. Considering that he had access to files I couldn't even dream of getting a hold of otherwise, I had decided to take him up on his offer.

Even if it had been a long while, I was pretty sure that when he'd said any time, he had meant it. Granted, I may have told a little white lie in that I was researching Aurors and the dangers of being such for a class I was taking, but he had written back to me fairly quickly, his letter stating that he would be at the Ministry in two days' time, the day before Christmas Eve, and that I should stop by so that he could unlock the records department for me. If there was anything in there that could tell me why my mother hadn't died, perhaps a sort of Witness Protection Program type of thing in the ministry, anything that would give me information on her and possibly some hope that maybe my father was out there as well, I was going to find it.

For now, I was enjoying myself with Charlie, as we had the seventh year girls' dormitory to ourselves. Usually, Kendra would stay with us over the holidays, but her father had insisted she come home and take the time to visit with her 'step-monster' as she so called her father's new wife. In Kendra's absence, Amelia had taken her bed for the two weeks, since no one else in her dorm was staying over the holidays. She'd taken to keeping a stack of her clothes on Kendra's desk. At the moment, I was varnishing her nails on Charlie's bed as Charlie attempted to finish a crossword puzzle while sitting cross-legged on her desk.

"'Son undone by the sun'," Charlie piped up. Even though she was awful at crosswords, she would still try her hand every once in a while, although to no avail, causing her to ask us for the answers. "It's six letters across."

Amelia and I ignored her as I continued to varnish her left ring finger a deep, rich red. Her nails were alternately green and red to get into the Christmas spirit.

"So," Amelia started, looking at Charlie and me hesitantly, "this girl from my year in Gryffindor, Marlene McKinnon, she's alone for the holidays." I looked up from the varnishing. "Apparently she's just been sitting in the Gryffindor common room and wandering the grounds. I asked her if she might want to stay with me, but if I'm staying here, is it okay if she stays in this room with you two as well."

I pursed my lips and looked over at Charlie. "Char, what do you think?" I asked.

She looked up, seemingly startled that we'd been talking to her. Her pen was in her mouth and she was chewing it as she usually did when she was confused (which, when she was doing the crossword, was frequent). "What? Oh, yeah. Sure. 'Neither _blank_ anyone else.' Four across."

I turned to Amelia and smiled. "I guess that's a yes." I turned back to her nails and finished the pinky nail on her right hand a shiny forest green. "What's she like?"

"She's nice," Amelia shrugged. "I haven't really hung out with her much. I know she's smart, though. Top of the class in Defense."

"'Goddess whose home was on the edge of Oceanus,'" Charlie interrupted. "Three letters across."

I rolled my eyes and began to apply a top coat on Amelia's nails. "Well, if you think it's a good idea then I'll believe you. She can take Sydney's bed."

Amelia beamed. "Thanks Alexandra. It would mean a lot to her."

"Of course," I said, returning the smile. "We need a new face in here so long as Charlie's doing her blasted crossword."

"'Revolutionary paths.' Six down."

* * *

Marlene McKinnon was a pretty girl, albeit she was quite cold at first, a sharp contrast from Amelia's warm and bubbly personality. When Amelia brought her into our dormitory, she had only a small handbag. When I'd asked if that was all she'd brought she curtly told me that there was an Undetectable Extension Charm on the bag. At that point, Charlie gave another outburst.

"'Attack suddenly,'" she said, her voice slightly muffled by the chewing of her pen. "Six letters down."

"What's she doing?" Marlene asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Charlie fancies herself a genius at crosswords. She's bloody awful at them though."  
"'Sorceress Morgan le _blank._ ' Three letters across."

"Fay," Marlene answered. Charlie looked up at her incredulously. "What? Not all Gryffindors have the brains of a sack of hammers."

I laughed. "It's not that. We usually just ignore Charlie when she's gotten herself into a crossword. Over six years of the ruddy things and they'll get old real fast."

Marlene smiled. "Oh, okay. So what've you three been doing these past few days?"

"Well," Amelia volunteered, "mostly just lazing about the dormitory, varnishing our nails, ignoring Charlie's antics. Sometimes we hang out with some of the boys. The regular things, I guess."

Marlene nodded. "Better than I've been doing. I've written my parents six times already. They went to Peru without me so I made sure to tell them about the absolutely dreadful time I was having here." We chuckled and she seemed pleased that we'd found it so amusing. Suddenly, however, her happy demeanour dropped and she furrowed her brow. "There's an owl at your window."

I looked over my shoulder and saw the tawny brown screech owl, a letter in its beak. I sighed and opened the window, allowing the bird to hop in so that I could take the letter off of him and send him on his way. Once the owl left, I put the letter aside and began to chip off my fresh nail varnish furiously.

"Aren't you going to open that?" Marlene asked curiously.

Thankfully, I was saved from answering by Charlie. "No, Alexandra has been ignoring letters from a certain Sirius Black ever since the holidays started. What is that? The tenth letter?" Then again, maybe having Charlie answer for me wasn't such the saving grace that I'd hoped it would be. "My guess is that he said something stupid – you know how James Potter is always pissing Lily Evans off? It's just unfortunate that Sirius managed to do that to the only girl at Hogwarts more stubborn than the Head Girl!"

"It doesn't matter," I said gruffly. "I'll read them at some point."

In fact, I'd promised myself I absolutely _wouldn't_ read them to myself at _any_ point. I didn't want to hear what he had to say about my mother because I didn't want to believe it, and if someone else said it, it would make it that much more real. Anyways, Sirius was already too prejudiced against unsupportive family members, and his bias was not something I wanted when deliberating what actions I would take. If I was going to make any decision for myself, he sure as hell wouldn't be a part of it.

"Are you dating Sirius Black?" Marlene pressed further. "I'd heard about something from the girls in my dormitory, but they all said you were just a fling."

I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth. "Technically, no we're not dating. But if it's just a fling then he better stop sending me these stupid bloody owls."

"Well," Marlene said, walking over and grabbing the letter, "if I had a boy who wasn't my boyfriend send me all kinds of letters, I'd want to at least know what was inside them. Even if they were all just apologies for the stupid things he's said."

I shrugged. "I've kept them all, I just don't want to read them now. Can we stop talking about my love life now? Why don't we go to the library and annoy Madame Pince or something?"

Marlene shrugged. "I've always wanted to set off noisemakers in the library."

Charlie looked over and grinned at me, bobbing her head once in the direction of my bed, which had oodles of noisemakers and other annoyances stashed underneath. I quickly went over and ducked down to grab the small leather bag that held our contraband items, satisfied at the weight. With a devious grin on my face, I turned to the other girls.

"Well then let's go."

We giggled and raced out of the dormitory, but before we could go to the library, I fetched the boys from their dormitory. Carter and Jackson had stayed over the holidays, although they had been holed up in there longer than we had under the guise of Carter's pre-Christmas gift of the past fifty years of Quidditch Weekly that his grandfather sent over. In all honesty I was waiting my turn to flip through the magazines, but considering that I had no homework or assignments to procrastinate on, I would save them until later. But when I burst into their room, Carter had his mags laid out over his bed and Alex's while Jackson was reading a book in the corner.

"Thought you boys were obsessing over Quidditch Weekly," I teased. "Didn't know you could read, O'Hara."

Jackson looked up and stuck his tongue out at me. "Oh, shut up Alexandra."

I walked over and plopped myself down in front of him. "Whatcha reading?" In response he held up the book so I could read the title. " _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_ by C.S. Lewis. Is it any good?"

Jackson put down the book, his eyes wide. "'Xandra, did you know that there are magical lands in wardrobes? The one I'm reading about is called Narnia and it's governed by a huge talking lion. You'd think that an entire land couldn't be governed by a bloody talking lion, especially since Gryffindor's are basically awful at any kind of governmental position in which there is power. But get this, there's actually four kids who were destined to rule over Narnia. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. You know, I met a girl named Lucy a little while back. She seemed incredibly like this Lucy girl."

"Carter!" I got up and gave him a sharp look. "You know we can't give Jackson fantasy novels."

Carter shrugged, his nose shoved into his Quidditch Weekly. "He threatened to burn my mags."

I rolled my eyes. "God, the both of you are ridiculous. Come on, we're getting out of this dormitory." I sniffed the air and grimaced. "Ergh, it smells like feet in here. Have either of you bathed in the past few days?" Both of them gave me the universal look of 'you don't want to know.' "Disgusting, the both of you. Come on now. Charlie, Amelia, Marlene McKinnon, and I are going to the library to set off noisemakers."

Carter looked at Jackson and Jackson looked back at Carter. "We're in!"

* * *

I woke up the next morning completely energized. We'd spent an entire hour the day before placing noisemakers strategically amongst the bookshelves, all perfectly timed to go off one after the other. Then we'd sat at a table and pretended to do work, stifling our laughter as Madame Pince would scurry from one end of the library to the other, muttering curse words under her breath, the smashed remains of noisemakers in her old, bony hands. It had been such a fun time that I'd forgotten all about what I was supposed to be doing today until Mr. Weston's owl had arrived for me.

At first I thought it was a letter from Sirius and very nearly chucked it in the bin. I'd grown tired of his efforts to get in touch with me. If it was so urgent, as was clearly written in block letters across the last envelope I'd gotten from him, he'd very well floo in. But once I saw the ministry's symbol on the letter, my nerves shattered. I tore it open, terrified that he'd have to reschedule, but all he wanted to do was confirm what time I'd be arriving. I'd told Charlie and Amelia beforehand that I was leaving in the morning, and when I woke up I was unsurprised to see that they were still sleeping, but Marlene's bed (or, more accurately, Sydney's), was empty. I assumed she had just gotten up to use the bathroom early in the morning and continued getting ready.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard a tapping on my window and looked out to see Sirius's owl. I opened the window harshly, snatched the letter from the poor bird's beak, and slammed the window shut again. This time I did throw the letter into the bin over my shoulder as I hurried out the door, almost slamming into Marlene in the process.

"Woah!" I said, bracing myself against the door. "Sorry, didn't see you there."

She looked at me strangely. "What are you doing up?" she asked slowly.

"Going to tie up some family affairs," I said, equally as suspiciously. "My sister's not going to be around for Christmas, or so she says, so I'm going out to mail her package to her. Can't get rushed packages out from Hogwarts though, unfortunately." Marlene nodded and I crossed my arms. "What are you doing up so early?"

Marlene blushed. "I'm lactose intolerant and I had a bowl of ice cream last night at the dinner table, thinking it was gelato. I've had an upset stomach all night."

Her initial defensiveness seemed to melt away and I smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry. Talk to Amelia, I think she's got some Lactase pills in her trunk."

Marlene smiled. "Thanks, Alexandra. See you later I guess."

"See you later, Marlene," I said brightly. I turned and hurried up the stairs to the common room, eager to see what the ministry records might have waiting for me.

But as I walked up the winding stairs, my eagerness dampened as I remembered the last time I'd been at the ministry, that time with my father. If one of my parents were to come back from the dead, surely couldn't both?

* * *

 **A.N.: Okay, so** ** _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_** **does not belong to me, it belongs to C.S. Lewis, along with his character Lucy. And if you haven't read that book you should – it's awesome. Okay, so here's where I say some more things…**

 **My first chapter as a Trusted Author – it's scary! I'd like to thank pixileanin, not only for being the best Beta ever but also for being the most amazing Beta ever! If it weren't for Pix, I wouldn't be a TA. To WeasleyTwinMom and GryffinDuck who took the time out of the past few days to check over everyone's profiles – OMG that's dedication, thank you so much! To everyone reading, thank you! But most of all…**

 **Okay, Pix is literally amazing and she is the reason this is still going. She berates me in my Stories Offered thread. :P So, thank you Pix!**


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